MANILA, PHILIPPINES — UBX, recognized as the Fastest Growing Fintech Company in South East Asia in 2021 by the Global Banking and Finance Review, has launched Sentro Build, the first multi-merchant marketplace builder in the country. Sentro Build provides marketplace owners and organizers with a fully customizable online marketplace, bringing communities of buyers and sellers together in one reliable website.
The events industry was one of the hardest hits during the pandemic. Traditionally requiring mass physical attendance, events and expos have been severely restricted due to COVID-19:
“There are many industries affected by the pandemic. Those severely impacted include the events, expo, and bazaar segments. Traditionally, this industry required physical gatherings which might not be happening any time soon. We have the technology with our Sentro platform that can now empower companies to create their own online marketplaces,” said UBX Head of SME Ventures and Sentro’s Venture Lead, Bjorn Pardo.
Sentro techs up businesses amidst the pandemic
Launched by UBX in April 2020, Sentro is a free, online shop builder with pre-integrated payments and delivery capabilities. Sentro has helped tens of thousands of existing and new businesses get online and digitally transform themselves during the pandemic.
With the goal of continuing to add new features to further tech-up Filipino businesses, UBX launches Sentro Build to enable the growing community of merchants that gather in well-known marketplaces. This latest version of Sentro provides marketplace owners, organizers, and their communities an easily customizable, end-to-end virtual marketplace.
Pioneering Sentro Build is Themes & Motifs – The Wedding Inspirations Co. and the original Philippine Wedding Expo organizer. The virtual Bridal Fair national roadshow and its online mall dedicated to the wedding industry is called The Bridal Marketplace. Sentro Build provides an effective platform for Themes & Motifs as it conducts its events despite the pandemic:
Sharon Fabian, the Managing Director of Themes & Motifs explains, “Sentro Build allowed us to quickly establish TheBridalMarketplace.com, a comprehensive online mall for soon-to-weds that capitalizes on Themes & Motifs long-standing partnership with big and reputable names in the local wedding industry. It provided us with a full integration to pandemic-friendly payment methods and a seamless connection to a product delivery system. Also, its easy-to-use e-commerce platform is perfect for our online bridal fair roadshow which showcases different wedding suppliers in different regions of the Philippines.”
Enterprises like Themes & Motifs can subscribe to a Sentro Build account and onboard merchants from their communities to sell on the platform. Existing Sentro shop owners can join a Sentro Build marketplace once invited by the platform’s enabled marketplace organizer. Marketplace owners have full control over the appearance and branding of their marketplace through the platform’s easy to use administration features. It has a built-in payment gateway powered by Bux providing multiple payment options via 50,000+ over-the-counter channels, online banking, E-wallets, debit, and credit card payments. In addition, it has pre-integrated delivery services powered by MrSpeedy.
Sought-after celebrity photographer Charisse Tinio, owner of Nice Print Photography, shared “Our e-store in The Bridal Marketplace marks a new milestone for us especially in this time of the pandemic when doing business online is very important. The wishlist feature of The Bridal Marketplace will allow our clients to include Nice Print packages in their gift’s registry for their family and friends worldwide to buy for them. This is a wonderful way of marking our 15th year in the business.”
Kenneth Mau, CEO of J’s Diamond, is likewise excited about its e-store in The Bridal Marketplace. “J’s Diamond has stores in different malls in the metropolis. However, with the slow foot traffic in the malls due to the pandemic, our engagement and wedding rings need another venue where it can be seen and purchased by soon-to-weds. With Themes & Motifs database of soon-to-weds and the shopping convenience of The Bridal Marketplace, we expect better times ahead in doing business despite lockdowns.”
Sam, a wedding cake designer and baker from Quezon City, explained how Sentro Build can help her as an entrepreneur: “It’s not easy to get noticed by clients online. It would be significantly helpful to be part of a marketplace so my brand can get the right exposure from a network of my target clients. Since the platform also has an easy checkout experience, it will be simpler for me to track my sales and will lessen the burden of sending too many instructions to customers.”
UBX Philippines pioneers the online multi-merchant marketplace builder space with Sentro Build as it fast-tracks the digitization of enterprises and marketplaces across the country.
