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NTUC U SME, an initiative of the Labour Movement that supports Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and their workers in their business and manpower needs, partnered with Punggol 21 Community Club to pilot the first ever grassroots Facebook Live Group Buy session with five partner SME retailers on 30 July 2021.
While COVID-19 had accelerated digital adoption, many SMEs still face obstacles in their transformation efforts due to the lack of manpower, expertise and resources. Noting the increase in interest in physical group buys within communities, NTUC U SME engaged the partner companies to come on board this first session and explore this progressively popular sales online live-selling process to empower their workers with new digital skills.
The partner SMEs, namely, 13 Honey, Ban Choon Marketing, IUIGA, Lim Kee Food Manufacturing and Tradeocean International, had shared their difficulties during COVID-19 and expressed interest in exploring this alternative business avenue with NTUC U SME to harness its rich marketing potential. Co-hosts of the session Lee Pei Fen and Marcus Chin took the audiences through each company’s profile and products. Participants keen on purchasing the products would be provided with a unique group buy promotional code for redemption on partner e-commerce platform
FairPrice Marketplace. Currently, more than 92 per cent of seller on FairPrice Marketplace are local SMEs.
In upholding its objectives of helping SMEs stay in business and assist SME owners to take better care of their workers, NTUC U SME has brought in NTUC’s Social Enterprises such as NTUC FairPrice and NTUC LearningHub, to collaborate and create a conducive ecosystem for partner SMEs to grow and benefit from. While FairPrice Marketplace has come on board as a transaction platform for partner SMEs to place their products on the platform for additional exposure, NTUC LearningHub will provide the necessary training required for each partner SME’s digital transformation.
Member of Parliament for Punggol Shore of Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC and NTUC U SME Director Yeo Wan Ling shared NTUC U SME’s goal to equip SMEs and their workers with relevant digital skills. “COVID-19 had been tough on our partner SMEs and their workers, but we want to assure them that we are here to help and hand-hold them through this first step of digitalisation. Moving forward, our partner SMEs and their workers can also leverage on platforms from our NTUC FairPrice and NTUC LearningHub as new avenues to sell and learn. When our SMEs do well, their workers’ lives and livelihood will improve.”
Lim Kee Food Manufacturing Pte Ltd’s Head of Business Development Ang Khim Wee highlighted his interest in the session. “We had always wanted to participate in an online marketing events, but we were not sure how to go about doing it. Through our partnership with NTUC U SME, our workers can learn more about the whole online group buy setup and expand our marketing reach.”
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