Sun.Star: Pangasinan sari-sari store fair opens Friday

DAGUPAN CITY -- The first ever Sari-Sari Store and Livelihood Fair in the country will open Friday at the Jimmy L. Fernandez Stadia. Incidentally, it is also the first consumer or trade fair to be held at the Jimmy L. Fernandez Stadia, the biggest exhibit and trade fair venue constructed north of Luzon which has a sitting capacity of 6,000. The consumer fair was organized by the City Supermarket Incorporated (CSI), owner of the biggest chain of malls and supermarkets in Northern Luzon. Participating exhibitors are the suppliers of CSI. The three-day sari-sari store exhibit will open Friday morning with a drum and lyre exhibition at the center alley, simultaneously with the launching of the CSI Super Savings Card at the Activity Area. There will also be a concert by the Banda Kawayan and later a Lion Dance Exhibition. The opening ceremony will be led by Dagupan City Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez whose family owns CSI. Fernandez earlier said sari-sari storeowners, caterers, canteen, restaurant, and hotel owners from the city and the entire province of Pangasinan are all welcome to visit the fair. Accordingly, there are about 100 main suppliers of assorted consumer goods joining the exhibit. There will be product exhibits, product and cooking demonstrations and samplings, CSI Negosyo seminars, entertainment, and daily raffle draws by different companies. The seminars to be conducted include "Business for Sari-Sari Store," "How to Attract Customers," "Seminar on Sari-Sari Store Merchandizing," "Business Tips," "Laging Wagi sa CSI Entrepreneural Seminar," "Purchasing on a Tight Budget," and "Sa Maliit na Capital May Negosyo Ka na." The CSI will likewise launch its CSI Super-Savings Cards. The cards will be distributed to sari-sari storeowners. With it, they can get discounts for their purchases of goods in any CSI outlets in Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and in Baguio City. They will also earn them points that can be exchanged with corresponding prizes from small items to appliances. Fernandez said they organized the Sari-Sari Store Exhibit and Livelihood Fair to help unemployed housewives start their own sari-sari even with small capital. "The extra income from the sari-sari store will be a big help for the needs of the family," she said. - Sun.Star