OVER 200 local shops and sellers participated in a virtual trade fair called #TatakPinoy, as part of Shopee and Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) joint efforts to promote and support domestic enterprises and their goods.
“We strongly believe in the importance of uplifting homegrown entrepreneurs. From microbusinesses to SMEs [small and medium enterprises], these local brands all contribute to the Philippine economy’s growth as a whole,” said Martin Yu, marketing director at Shopee Philippines.
Since most local businesses are limited to promote and sell their products in brick and mortar due to the ensuing Covid-19 pandemic, he noted that they seek to create an opportunity for them to showcase the best Filipino brands.
The DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, in a news statement, took pride to be a partner of the leading e-commerce platform for the staging of #TatakPinoy on the web. “This initiative will connect thousands of consumers to more than a hundred MSMEs on one platform,” the news statement added.
During the three-day trade event from February 19 to 21, online buyers discovered local delicacies and pasalubong items, particularly those from Regions 12 and 4-A, on Shopee. They, likewise, purchased products from Filipina-owned businesses, championed by Shopee and United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) partnership to empower local female entrepreneurs.
Besides finding high-quality local craftsmanship and helping local businesses in the process, shoppers availed exclusive perks of up to 10-percent discount on participating Filipino brands such as Colourette, Vice Cosmetics, and Human Nature.
Even further, they enjoyed more deals when they checked out using ShopeePay.
“We’re happy with the performance overall and are glad to have allowed local sellers and brands to showcase their products and businesses while also growing our own,” Yu said of the online trade fair’s positive turnout in an online interview with the BusinessMirror.
“We are proud to be able to offer a wide array of choices from local ingredients to local delicacies, local fashion favorites, handmade home essentials, and top local beauty picks,” he added.
Local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and community business sellers comprised the bulk of the participating merchants, offering up to 8,600 items at the virtual fair.
They came from Shopee’s partnership with the DTI and the USAID that gave them a chance to undergo masterclasses to reach their utmost potential in e-commerce by selling on the former’s cyber platform.
During these educational sessions, sellers learned how to tap on the marketing tools present on Shopee and use effective advertising tactics to amplify their online presence and boost online sales.
Given the success of #TatakPinoy Virtual Trade Fair, the shopping platform will keep on spearheading campaigns that will help reignite pride and demand for local products and drive economic growth, especially in these trying times.
“We will continue to work with our partners to identify gaps in the landscape and create more opportunities to empower these brands and MSMEs to overcome the pandemic’s impact,” Yu said.
“For this year, we plan to scale up our partnerships with other regions and local government units to educate more sellers on the benefits of e-commerce and encourage more Filipinos to support local businesses to contribute to the country’s economic growth,” he stressed.
Read full article on BusinessMirror
