Sari-Sari Stores Convention Organized by Magna Kultura Foundation

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 2^nd 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.

Together with Go WOW Isabela II, Inc., Magna Kultura will support the small store owners of Isabela to assure their success.