Latest news with #localentrepreneurs
Arab News
05-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Diriyah supports local creativity, national brands
RIYADH: A daily event featuring Saudi brand stores and promoting local art, accessories and modern designs is taking place in Diriyah's JAX District. The event, which began on Wednesday and runs until July 8, is open from 8.30 p.m. until midnight and aims to support creativity and national products. Brands taking part are presenting a range of innovative pieces that blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The initiative supports creative industries by connecting the public with local entrepreneurs and innovators, boosting the cultural economy and encouraging artistic and craft production.
Zawya
02-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Pick n Pay's reaffirms commitment to South African SMMEs
On United Nations' Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day on 27 June 2025, Pick n Pay reaffirmed its commitment to empowering local entrepreneurs. This year's global theme, 'MSMEs and the SDGs: Catalysing Innovation and Sustainable Growth', closely reflects Pick n Pay's Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) strategy, which last year supported over 150 small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) directly and nearly 1,000 through procurement and services. From mentorship to opening shelf space in stores nationwide, Pick n Pay plays a crucial role in helping small businesses thrive and scale. 'When you give small businesses access to market and meaningful support, they don't just survive, they thrive and uplift communities. They become innovators, job creators, and long-term partners in building a more resilient economy,' says Vaughan Pierce, head of ESG at Pick n Pay He points to Comessa Food Services, a local family-run bakery that joined Pick n Pay's supplier programme in 2010. 'What started as a small husband-and-wife operation has grown into a thriving business employing over 100 people and supplying hundreds of Pick n Pay stores with tortilla wraps, naan breads, rotis, pizza bases, and pita breads, including products under the PnP private label range. 'This is just one of many success stories. With the right mentorship and access to market through our shelves, small suppliers are not only able to innovate but also scale significantly. There are hundreds more stories just like this, and we're proud to be part of their journey,' says Pierce. Pick n Pay's dedicated SME division is run by passionate personnel who are committed to the growth of small businesses, ensures that small suppliers receive the hands-on guidance needed to meet commercial demands and scale successfully. The retailer hosts monthly SMME Connect sessions to promote knowledge sharing and sustainability readiness. This approach also contributes directly to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from promoting decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), to supporting industry innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), enabling responsible production (Goal 12), and forging partnerships for shared value (Goal 17). 'Our ESD programme isn't corporate social responsibility, it's a business imperative. Inclusive business is smart business, and it's key to long-term national resilience. As the world celebrates MSMEs today, Pick n Pay is proud to stand behind South Africa's small businesses, the true heroes of innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth,' concludes Pierce. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CNA
26-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Bali's snake fruit farmers find fresh ways to overcome price and wastage issues
In Bali, farmers of the native salak fruit - also known as snake fruit - are getting innovative to overcome challenges including low prices and wastage. For instance, they are processing unsold fruits into products with longer shelf life like coffee, wine and vinegar. In the second of a three-part series on the fruit, CNA's Chandni Vatvani speaks to local entrepreneurs to find out what other measures they are taking.
Khaleej Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Union Coop launches ‘Bahjat Al Eid' exhibition at Al Barsha Mall
As part of its vision to expand its community services and provide an integrated shopping experience, Union Coop has launched the 'Bahjat Al Eid' exhibition for Emirati productive families at Al Barsha Mall (Dubai), taking place until June 5. The exhibition features a selection of home-based projects and local entrepreneurial families showcasing their products. The initiative is aligned with Union Coop's commitment to empowering Emirati productive families by offering them dedicated spaces within its commercial centers to display and market their goods. This practical step aims to transform small-scale ventures into sustainable economic contributors. Through this initiative, Union Coop merges community impact with service innovation, offering high-quality local products in a modern and comfortable shopping environment — adding a new dimension to the customer experience in its shopping centers. Union Coop affirmed that the Bahjat Al Eid Exhibition is designed to add value for customers by introducing innovative and diverse products from Emirati families. This initiative not only enhances shopping options but also supports the local economy, reflecting the cooperative's ongoing commitment to addressing the needs of its diverse consumer base. The cooperative added that today's customers prefer quality, authenticity, and a shopping experience rooted in national identity. By supporting productive families, Union Coop helps meet these expectations while fostering direct engagement between local producers and consumers. Union Coop invites the public to visit the exhibition, which showcases a wide range of products including traditional foods, sweets, perfumes, heritage clothing, handicrafts, accessories, and gifts. The exhibition offers visitors a chance to explore a rich cultural and creative diversity that reflects the skills and expertise of Emirati families. It is worth noting that this exhibition is part of Union Coop's broader strategy to enhance corporate social responsibility initiatives, striking a balance between its commercial and community roles by introducing new, tangible services for customers while empowering local producers and stimulating the home-based economy.
Al Bawaba
04-06-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Union Coop Supports ‘Bahjat Al Eid' Exhibition
As part of its vision to expand its community services and provide an integrated shopping experience, Union Coop has launched the 'Bahjat Al Eid' exhibition for Emirati productive families at Al Barsha Mall (Dubai), taking place from June 1 to 5, 2025. The exhibition features a selection of home-based projects and local entrepreneurial families showcasing their products. The initiative is aligned with Union Coop's commitment to empowering Emirati productive families by offering them dedicated spaces within its commercial centers to display and market their goods. This practical step aims to transform small-scale ventures into sustainable economic contributors. Through this initiative, Union Coop merges community impact with service innovation, offering high-quality local products in a modern and comfortable shopping environment — adding a new dimension to the customer experience in its shopping centers. Union Coop affirmed that the Bahjat Al Eid Exhibition is designed to add value for customers by introducing innovative and diverse products from Emirati families. This initiative not only enhances shopping options but also supports the local economy, reflecting the cooperative's ongoing commitment to addressing the needs of its diverse consumer base. The cooperative added that today's customers prefer quality, authenticity, and a shopping experience rooted in national identity. By supporting productive families, Union Coop helps meet these expectations while fostering direct engagement between local producers and consumers. Union Coop invites the public to visit the exhibition, which showcases a wide range of products including traditional foods, sweets, perfumes, heritage clothing, handicrafts, accessories, and gifts. The exhibition offers visitors a chance to explore a rich cultural and creative diversity that reflects the skills and expertise of Emirati families. It is worth noting that this exhibition is part of Union Coop's broader strategy to enhance corporate social responsibility initiatives, striking a balance between its commercial and community roles by introducing new, tangible services for customers while empowering local producers and stimulating the home-based economy.
