Packworks ushers digital revolution to almost 200,000 sari-sari stores in the Philippines

“Packworks   empowers   sari-sari  stores   through   scalable   and   accessible   technology,   with   itsteam composed of dedicated developers, programmers, and technicians that work to put the power back into the hands of the people at the heart of Filipino communities by providing them  with digital opportunities previously only available to big companies.” ~Ibba Bernardo, Packworks Founder

Bringing the power back to the Filipino people through technology.

Technology is now an important part of our lives. It has redefined almost every aspect of oursociety and it continues to redefine how we approach things, including the conduct of business.

For Packworks founders Hubert Yap, Bing Tan and Ibba Bernardo, an opportunity to harness technology   for   good   was   present   in   our   neighborhood   sari-sari   stores. Limited   access   to  technology presented a stumbling block for sari-sari stores especially in far-flung regions of thecountry. With this  insight,   the   founders   of   Packworks   committed   themselves   to   the   goal   of providing micro-entrepreneurs   access   to   knowledge   and   tools   that   can   help   them   digitally transform their businesses.

Thus, their mission to help micro-entrepreneurs through scalable  and accessible technology began. Founded in 2018, Packworks started as a solution for sari-sari store entrepreneurs that aimed toprovide them with relevant technology to help them grow while connecting them to multinational companies to give them more opportunities. Today, the platform has transformed into a way out   of poverty for the millions of sari-sari store owners across the Philippines.

Through the Packworks’ Super Sari Store app, sari-sari store entrepreneurs can become more  efficient in managing their business by giving them access to tools and knowledge such as a  wider range of suppliers and financial products to help them grow and prosper especially during  difficult times such as economic crises and natural disasters.

An easy-to-use app that uses low bandwidth and has a light footprint, the Super Sari Store app uplifts   and   changes   the   lives   of   thousands   of   sari-sari   store   entrepreneurs   across   the  archipelago. It can be used offline, and the entire running process can be carried out remotely, even without Internet access.

“It [Super Sari Store app] allows the users to process their businesses more efficiently with the goal of addressing the high cost of poverty, where store owners pay the highest interest rates  and pay more for consumer goods.” ~Hubert Yap, Packworks Founder

As   a   company   that   strives   to   give   sari-sari   store   entrepreneurs   the   best   options   and opportunities to grow, Packworks plans to cover 220,000 sari-sari stores by year-end.

“Packworks aims to become a platform for other institutions that would like to help the base ofthe   pyramid   by   addressing   the   sari-sari   store   challenge   by   enabling   the   value   chain   and  enabling efficiency and transparency.”  ~Bing Tan, Packworks Founder 

And their journey will not end there. It will make sari-sari store owners’ lives even easier with the  launch   of   a   seamless   purchase-order-to-receiving system where   their   inventory is updated automatically. Significant improvements on the app’s UI and UX design have also been made to improve user experience. 

Packworks has also begun its rollout of promo discount and loyalty programs to help stores earn more. This is just proof that Packworks will continue to usher the digital revolution to sari-sari stores. For   more   information   on   Packworks,   please   visit  https://packworks.io/.   You   may   contact Packworks at success@packworks.io.