Retailers told to step up, get ready for single market

LOCAL retailers were urged yesterday to step up their game to be able to compete with the bigger retailers from other Southeast Asian countries under a single market.

Robert Go, Philippine Retailers´ Association Cebu president, said the creation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Economic Community is a wake-up call for all businesses to upgrade their processes and remain competitive.

“We are competing against big, big retailers, both domestic and international. Gi-kompetensiyahan tag maayo. We have to be better instead of being bullied,” he added during the organization´s general membership meeting yesterday.

He said majority of retailers are still going strong and are trying to move head-to-head with the foreign retail brands that have entered Cebu.

More new retail brands are expected to enter the market as two huge malls are set to open in Cebu. SM Seaside City at the South Road Properties (SRP) will open on November 27 while Robinsons Galleria at the North Reclamation Area will open on December 10.

“There really is a need to improve retailers in Cebu. This improvement will not only be in terms of business processes, but also in expanding their reach and further saturating the market,” he said.

To help its over 100 members, Go said PRA will continue to hold seminars on various topics next year and plan external activities that will increase members’ exposure and allow them to size up their competitors.

“Saturation is the name of the game – we are no longer the sick man of Asia. We are the target,” he added.

Asean leaders declared recently the creation of the AEC, a single market and production base for member-nations Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.