Brand owners running Filipino retail and trade businesses across the UAE spent an afternoon at Casa Filipina inside The Garden Concept store, trading contacts and exploring tie-ups during a session billed as Retail Discovery Day.
The gathering drew entrepreneurs working in retail and trade who used the time to meet counterparts they had not previously crossed paths with, according to organizers. Rather than positioning the businesses as rivals competing for the same customers, the program framed the afternoon as a chance for owners to back one another and look for joint ventures.
Casa Filipina, which opened its doors in the final week of May during the Philippines’ National Heritage Month, has built its identity around showcasing homegrown furniture, décor, fashion, and lifestyle goods. The showroom sits at The Garden Concept store and was inaugurated weeks ahead of the country’s Independence Day commemoration. Its founders have pitched the space as a foothold for Filipino brands seeking buyers, designers, and retailers in the international market.
The event was put together by the group Filipino Retail and Trade Entrepreneurs, alongside Casa Filipina and Terno by TCG, in coordination with the Philippine Business Council Dubai and the Northern Emirates. That council has previously thrown its weight behind Filipino product showcases in the emirate, including earlier Casa Filipina activities supported by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center.
Organizers said the turnout itself carried the day, with participants treating the afternoon as a starting point for continued collaboration among Filipino-owned ventures in the region.
