This is one of the things that the group hopes to achieve as it holds this year’s national convention, highlighting for one, the power of women.
To inspire more women to get into business and break barriers, PRA president Rosemarie Bosch Ong announced the group picked Ayala Land’s director, Mariana Zobel de Ayala as the headliner of the 29th National Retail Conference Expo (NRCE).
According to Ong, with Ayala’s impressive business acumen and leadership skills, “Ayala will share insights on how women’s representation and voices can bring innovation to the table, enrich the decision-making process, and achieve more inclusive and equitable outcomes in retail.”
She will also discuss the pleasures and pressures of being in the fourth generation of a Philippine business family and the importance of staying relevant.
The NRCE is slated from Aug. 10 to 11, 2023 at the SMX Convention Center in Manila. This year’s expo is anchored on the theme: “Retail Breakthrough.”
Ong said Ayala is the perfect fit for this year’s groundbreaking event, “as she is a true trailblazer in her own right.”
“We believe that she’s an embodiment of a retail breakthrough as she’s an example of a strong woman leader who is not afraid to make a giant leap, embracing new advancements and discoveries to use it and make the necessary steps to achieve success,” Ong said in a statement.
NRCE 2023 overall chairman and Rustan Commercial Corp. president Donnie Tantoco hopes to inspire and motivate attendees through Mariana’s keynote session on “The Power of Women at the Forefront of Progress” to break down barriers and shatter stereotypes, paving the way for future generations.
Stores run by women
One sector that records the most number of women involved and leading the way is the sari-sari store sector.
A study conducted by Packworks’ intelligence tool, in partnership with Fourth Wall, showed that 75 percent of the thousands of sari-sari stores analyzed are owned by women.
The report also identified that only 20 percent are male-dominated and five percent are unknown. Sari-sari stores are small retail shops commonly found in residential areas across the Philippines, selling a wide range of consumer goods, from food and beverages to household items.
“The high percentage of sari-sari store ownership by women shows that Filipinas virtually control much of the local economy,” said Andres Montiel, Packworks’ head of Data in a statement.
Since about 70 percent of manufactured goods are transacted in sari-sari stores, women’s domination of sari-sari store ownership puts them in a position to make a difference in the country’s economic life, the study said.
Economic sectors, therefore, must open their doors to women, as women’s labor participation in some industries is still low. Institutions must also empower women by boosting skills training initiatives to ensure they can participate fully in the country’s economic growth, the study noted.
For the past 28 years, the NRCE has been the biggest and longest-running retail industry event in the country where top retailers and suppliers converge in one venue.
It provides retailers with fresh insights, new perspectives, as well as actionable strategies from industry leaders to help accelerate the growth of businesses in the country.