Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprise 99.5 percent of business enterprises in the Philippines. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s 2020 MSME statistics show that the MSME sector accounted for more than 60 percent of jobs in the country. Further, the United Nations points to MSMEs as key to our country’s inclusive recovery…
Much has been written about the pandemic’s impact on Asian consumers: how they embraced new ways of shopping, as well as how retailers and consumer goods companies were forced to quickly adapt their business models. Now, the focus has shifted to whether many of these patterns and preferences will endure once the pandemic abates, and…
Looking for ways to meet diverse customer demands? Get to know these top personality-driven consumers dominating the market this 2022 and see how your business can adjust sales and marketing strategies based on their needs. Research group EuroMonitor International says consumers are influenced by a slew of factors—from online product reviews, convenient shopping platforms to…
This is a pivotal time for Philippine brands who are seeking to transition or lead in e-commerce. Regardless of size and scale, they face a tremendous opportunity to reach new markets for significant growth at this point in time: the Philippines is the fastest-growing e-commerce market in Southeast Asia and the value of its digital…
Digital is increasingly becoming the name of the game. From television channels entering into the streaming service fight to daily broadsheets getting their own apps, more and more industries have realized that the new business battleground is our devices. As Forbes stated in 2021: “An entirely new game is being played. In this new game,…
What do micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) lifelines and the trajectory that the Department of Finance (DOF) wants to take have in common? The guests of the third and final leg of Inquirer Project Rebound’s MSMEs webinar series unanimously agree that both are anchored in financial technology (fintech). For MSMEs, the steady increase of…
“Boy, was that a wake up call.” Teddy Monroy, country representative for United Nations Industrial Development Organization, said this during the Inquirer Project Rebound’s webinar on ensuring the resiliency and sustainability of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with their recovery. This was in reference to the COVID-19 crisis, which truly exposed how MSMEs, despite…
A versatile light commercial vehicle for different businesses As I leave our house to go to work, I’m greeted by the sari-sari store out front owned by our neighbor. At the corner of our street, I pass by the water refilling station that’s patronized by homeowners in and outside of our village. A few more…
Thousands of small businesses got a crucial boost amid a pandemic-induced economic slowdown through UnionBank of the Philippines Inc.’s (UnionBank) issuance of a social bond worth $150 million or P7.55 billion. The bank financed the loans of 3,751 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the proceeds of the bond, UnionBank revealed in the that…
SM Investments Corporation’s strong retail-led growth mirrors growing consumer spending despite lingering inflation risks. This growth in spending activity is sparking optimism in the overall economic outlook. Asian Development Bank, in a recent report, raised economic expectations, underpinned by rebounds in investment and household consumption. “Despite rising inflation, we are encouraged to see shoppers’ robust…