Magna Kultura Foundation successfully organized
a convention of sari-sari stores at Isabela Province on August 4, 2012 at the
Roxas Astrodome. Over 250 small store
owners attended the seminar-workshop that gave valuable insights on retail
management and local store marketing. The 250 attendees that were trained by
Magna Kultura will be installed as managers of cluster’s of stores in towns of
Isabela.
The convention was hosted by Go WOW Isabela II,
Inc., compose of the working women of Isabela province. The plan, which was originally conceived by
Representative Ana Cristina Go, is to organize clusters of sari-sari stores in
the eleven (11) towns of District 2.
Each town has an average of 22 Barangays, and approximately 5 stores
will be activated in each community locale.
The Working
Women of District 2 Zone 01embarked on the project as a livelihood program that
will give the citizens an opportunity to improve their lives. GO WOW will be setting up a cluster of stores
in the 2nd District of Isabela to open doors of opportunities to
citizens, at the same time make vital consumers goods conveniently available in
communities.
GO
WOW will be working with citizens who will manage the cluster of stores as a
vehicle to serve the people. The Working Women of District 2 Zone 1 realizes
critical role that retail stores play in communities, when all the residents
are miles away from a full-service grocery store or a supermarket. GO WOW see
the cluster of stores as more than just food retailers, but also economic
drivers, community builders, and meeting places for citizens. This is GO WOW’s service to the
citizens of Isabela.
Magna
Kultura Foundation conducted the seminar-workshop to train the Store Operators
of the Go Wow Cluster Stores. During the
seminar, Magna Kultura provided an 80-paged handbook that will serve as reference
material for store’s
operating staff providing:
m
general
information on the retail industry and local store management;
m
information
on the key skills needed to operate the retail management and sales functions
with the highest expertise and service excellence;
m
insights
on the management process, purchase and inventory procedures, marketing and
promotions planning, customer service and retention efforts in operating a
retail store.
Magna
Kultura discussed the various processes involved in operating a store and
making it profitable; and provided
valuable tips and operations techniques in running the day-to-day affairs of
their store. The topics took into
consideration a comprehensive overview of the back-office and front
office activities in operating a retail store, including techniques in
customer relations and loyalty retention.
Magna
Kultura realizes the value that sari-sari stores play in communities. While stores may be seen as retailers, they
are really the back-bone of the grassroots economy. And while the store owners may not be college
graduates, they are small business people bold enough conduct entrepreneurial
ventures that serves the community and move consumer goods manufactured by big
corporations. Magna Kultura believes that they are “unsung heroes” that move the economy,
accounting for the movement of almost 70% of consumer food products.
Magna
Kultura Foundation is an education-for-development NGO geared towards improving
the lives of Filipino communities by building capacities of civic and sector
groups, providing cultural, educational and social entrepreneurial skills. As such, it supports small business people
such as sari-sari store owners. Magna Kultura teaches social and cultural
entrepreneurial skills that enable ordinary Filipinos at the grassroots level
to better articulate their needs and aspirations and participate more actively
and productively in activities aimed at
improving their lives and that of their communities.
Magna Kultura supports small store owners to assure their success.
