When Argao’s torta maker learns to ride the e-commerce wave

This is one of the posts of Chitang’s Torta in the torta maker’s Facebook page. A strong online presence is one of the things, Chitang’s Torta owner, Irwin Camello, learned from the Department of Trade and Industry’s E-commerce workshop. (Chitang’s Torta FB Page)

FOR over 30 years, Chitang’s Torta Bakery has maintained the recipe for the popular delicacy used by its late founder Anecita “Chitang” Camello.

Even now with her son Irvin, 47, managing the business after her passing in 2007, the Argao-based store still managed to stick with traditions, especially in the preparation of torta which the southern Cebu town is famous for.

Unless they need to produce more than their regular volume, Chitang’s bakes its torta in traditional clay ovens and only turns to conventional ones in time for Argao’s fiesta in September.

In a recent interview, Irvin said Chitang’s torta only has seven ingredients which are tuba (coconut wine) as leavening agent, sugar, milk, egg yolk, flour, lard, and margarine.

“Even after my mother died, nothing has changed,” Irvin said when asked how he’s kept the taste of their torta the same even after such a long time.

Chitang’s founder

Irvin’s mother founded Chitang’s Torta in 1980, after years of mass producing the delicacy during the town’s annual feast of St. Michael the Archangel on Sept. 28 to 29.

What changed, however, is the way Chitang’s does business. With its only store located in Argao, 70 kilometers south of Cebu City, and a Facebook page, the bakery relies mostly on word of mouth to tell people about its torta and other products.

E-commerce workshop

But things have turned around for Irvin and his family’s business after he, along with 14 other mentees, became part of an electronic commerce and digital marketing workshop organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cebu.

During the workshop, which ran from Nov. 21 to Jan. 10, Irvin learned how to create a website for his business as well as maximize Facebook and other social media platforms to reach more potential customers.

The mentees were taught how to receive orders and payments online as well as keep records of potential and existing clients.

Increased sales

In December last year, Irvin noted an increase in gross sales compared to the same period in 2015 after Chitang’s website went live.

“We were overwhelmed by the impact of e-commerce. Production even fell short during that time (due to the influx of orders),” he said.

Chitang’s received inquiries from all over Cebu City and as far as California in the US and Canada, which Irvin presumed were made by overseas Filipinos who were returning to Cebu soon.

P30,000 more

Irvin said Chitang’s had gross sales of P143,000 in December 2015 while it had P180,000 in gross sales during the same month in 2016, with P30,000 credited to products sold through e-commerce.

Chitang’s can produce 200 pieces of torta every day with each piece sold at P35. Aside from torta, the bakery also sells suncake, browas, podreda, tostados, polvoron, sampaloc.

“This gave us a boost in advertising. Our sales increased as well as the reach,” said Irvin.

Through the e-commerce workshop, Irvin said he saw the value of having an online presence.

He said he would advertise their products on Facebook, but the page wasn’t professionally handled. Now, he already knows how to schedule his posts to reach more audiences at a given time.

Partner stores

Chitang’s only has one store which is in Argao, but several of its products are displayed in Oats and Berries at Robinsons Cybergate and Kalye Sugbo at Ayala Center Cebu in Cebu City.

Irvin said he hopes they will be able to put up new stores, but there aren’t any concrete plans for the move yet.

There might have been doubts on how a bakery based in Argao could possibly receive orders online from the rest of Cebu and even the world, but Irvin showed that it is possible.

Chitang’s triumph is evidence enough that even the most traditional of businesses can embrace digital, given the proper guidance.