RP Targets Asian and Mainstream Markets in Alaska INQ7.net
July 26, 2006
The Philippines is now looking into the State of Alaska as its next venue for promoting food products. It has successfully expanded its ethnic market and penetrated the mainstream market in California and the Pacific Northwest with its food missions held in the last two years.
Special Trade Representative Ma. Roseni Alvero recently announced the holding of the “Philippine In-Store Promotion Program” to be held on August 5-6, 2006 at the New Sagaya Markets located in Anchorage, Alaska. The New Sagaya Markets is one of the leading and most popular mainstream food outlets that carry the widest range of ethnic foods in Anchorage, Alaska.
Three Filipino food importers/distributors - B.F.Imports, Camtrade Enterprises, and Marigold Corp. (Mamasita)- will be showcasing their featured products ranging from juices, snack foods, condiments and other processed canned foods with Philippine known brands like “Mama Sita”, “Boy Bawang”, “Cool Choice”, etc.
Food tasting will be held in the New Sagaya markets where their products will also be offered for sale at special introductory prices. Food/trade buyers can sample and explore the uses of these various food products that can be adapted by other ethnic and mainstream markets.
Philippine-made food products used to be marketed only in Filipino stores, mostly in areas largely populated by Filipinos in California, namely Los Angeles and San Francisco. Today leading mainstream supermarkets like Safeway, Albertson’s, Costco and other oriental markets have carried Philippine-made food products on their shelves, contributing to their clientele’s increased awareness of these products. It also created a niche among their internationally accepted Asian products.
The Philippines exports almost US$500 million annually of mostly processed foods to the U.S. The State of Alaska is home to an estimated 22,000 Filipino-Americans, half of them residing in Anchorage.
- Philippine Trade & Investment Center, Silicon Valley, U.S.A.
