DTI in talks with Ayala Group for Go Lokal store branches

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) seeks to open as much as five more Go Lokal stores in major malls this year as it is currently in discussions with the Ayala Group for the company’s first Go Lokal branch.

Ayala’s major competitors in the shopping mall segment, SM and Robinsons, have already one Go Lokal store each.

SM opened on Wednesday its first Go Lokal store in SM Makati. Robinsons, meanwhile, opened its first branch last March in its mall in Ermita.

“We’re talking to Ayala now, hopefully we can open also in Ayala. Abreeza in Davao could be a good start but it’s their call on where they would want it,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

“DTI is really more on the concept but we let them run it. They have the expertise in retailing after all,” he added.

Lopez said the agency is targeting between five to eight Go Lokal stores opened by the end of the year.

Three are already operational which include that of SM in Makati, Robinsons in Ermita  and another in Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna.

“It is really elevating the capabilities and innovativeness of our small and medium enterprises. What’s good about having this exposure is that they are able to market test their products so they’ll know what to improve and how to make it sellable. At the end of the day, it’s the awareness and the continued innovation mindset among the MSMEs that we are trying to promote,” Lopez said.

Go Lokal is a design-led concept store and market platform created by the DTI to showcase modern and indigenous quality products crafted, designed, and created by innovative Philippine MSMEs.

To date, Lopez said over 30 MSMEs are already part of the existing Go Lokal stores.

“So basically we’re introducing MSMES and giving them the chance to be in the malls without having to be burdened by high registration costs,” he said.

“These products will be rotated. After a period of let’s say two months, we will try to look for a new set and a new batch of products to give chance to other deserving MSMEs,” Lopez added.