At the press launch of Iskaparate.com, held on October 15, 2024, at Overdoughs Café in Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati, media representatives and industry partners had the opportunity to experience the platform firsthand through an interactive online purchase demo led by a team from ConnectSys, Iskaparate’s ecosystem provider.
The event, designed to introduce Iskaparate’s features and benefits, was a key moment for the platform as it officially made its entrance into the digital marketplace. The demo gave an all-around tour of the website, including product showcasing, e-commerce functionalities, and purchasing process activated using an e-gift certificate. Attendees engaged with the demo through experiential navigation accompanied by an open forum about the platform’s overall operation.
The event began with a warm video message from Iskaparate Founder Joey Bermudez, sharing the journey of Iskaparate from having a community of 33 entrepreneurial mothers to partnering with 3,000 fully vetted sellers. He highlighted. “Iskaparate.com was born during the darkest days of the COVID pandemic when micro and small entrepreneurs lost their physical stores to the brutal lockdowns. We then created an online platform that would allow these entrepreneurs to resume their businesses.”
Attendees included a mix of media professionals and industry partners eager to see how the platform could potentially impact and transform the digital commerce landscape for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines.
In the modern era when a unique driving force can define the success of an online platform, Iskaparate.com made a strong impression with its mission to empower small business owners. In her talk, DTC Promos Inc. President & COO Marissa Dames emphasized its passionate goal, “We share a vision to support the growth of MSMEs.”
On the other hand, Josefina Rojo-Natividad, President & COO of Iskaparate, shared the progressive growth of the platform, “Iskaparate started as a B2C [platform], but now, we are proud to showcase that our website already features B2B, offering grocery items and personal care products. This would benefit the sellers we have whose products are not able to sell because of competition.”
Using an e-gift certificate, the demo walked participants through the entire buying process, from selecting products to completing transactions. This hands-on demonstration allowed the attendees to explore different aspects of the platform in real time. This feature of the launch allowed for an in-depth understanding of how the platform operates from a customer perspective.
Iskaparate.com, while initially conceived to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has now extended its offerings to include larger businesses and B2B companies. With a wide range of e-commerce tools, vendors of all sizes can list and manage their products, handle transactions, and engage directly with consumers on a trusted, efficient platform. The team emphasized that this expansion is designed to help businesses adapt to the digital age while remaining competitive in an increasingly globalized market.
During the event, the core mission of Iskaparate.com was further elaborated, which is to empower Filipino entrepreneurs, particularly MSMEs, by giving them the tools to navigate the e-commerce space effectively. Through the provision of a multi-vendor platform that levels the playing field, Iskaparate seeks to make online selling accessible to businesses that may not have the resources or expertise to establish their own e-commerce systems.
