In the program, small sari-sari stores benefit from lower procurement costs thanks to the unified sourcing of goods at the Community Store, which serves as a hub for as many as 120 stores in the area.
It also got hip with the times, partnering with crowd sourcing pioneer Threadless.com to sell T-shirts from the community of artists and everyday shoppers, who vote on which designs go into production.
Sourcing good deal flow is a full time job for those in the investment community, so how is someone with a day job supposed to source great deals if they cannot spend their waking hours building relationships with intermediaries and companies?