MANILA/JAKARTA -- Big businesses, including lenders and convenience chain operators in Southeast Asia, are wooing millions of small grocery stores across the region. They are doing so in a bid to reach consumers outside cities.
A 6-sq.-meter store, locally known as "sari-sari store," in the Philippines' Pampanga Province in the north of Manila is lined with a variety of snacks, beverages and mobile phone prepaid cards. Despite its size, the store offers a variety of services. It even serves meals. Due to its convenience, the store attracts roughly 300 customers a day. Sales reach 3,500 pesos ($79.2) on the busiest days.
