Online platforms to promote ‘Made in Armenia’ products

By Asbarez | Monday, 08 August 2016

On August 8, 2016 a memorandum of understanding was signed between SME Cooperation Association, menu.am, buy.am and crossroad.am delivery networks, aiming to promote Armenian products.

On August 8, 2016 a memorandum of understanding was signed between SME Cooperation Association, menu.am, buy.am and crossroad.am delivery networks, aiming to promote Armenian products. (Photo: Armenpress)

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Several Armenian online stores and delivery networks join forces to promote “Made in Armenia” products.

On August 8, a memorandum of understanding was signed between SME Cooperation Association, menu.am, buy.am and crossroad.am delivery networks, aiming to promote Armenian products.

According to the memorandum, the abovementioned platforms will introduce a “Made in Armenia” section, and SMEs under the section will have privileged conditions.

Hakob Avagyan, President of the SME Cooperation Association said that according to their research, small enterprises which produce Armenian products face problems with supermarkets and malls, in terms of promoting their products.

“We asked founders of online platforms to try and assist small businesses and introduce a “Made in Armenia” submenu in their websites, which will ease finding Armenian products. This has an important message: that we need to change consumer culture,” Avagyan said.

According to menu.am founder Vahan Kerobyan, local producers will have significant advantage, as Armenian products will be offered not only in Armenia, but also in markets where delivery networks are planning to enter.

Zara Mazmanyan, director of buy.am, said currently 50+ Armenian products are represented in their platform, starting from beverages, and products such as soap, candles etc.

According to Mazmanyan, the “Armenian Products” section of buy.am is actively operating, which is the result of customer feedback.

“We are an online mall, we work with Armenian stores, and we also collaborate with artists. Representation in our platform is free of charge and delivery is cheap,” she said.

Crossroad.com founder Alex Alexanyan said this initiative will be a success if both customers and producers are given the correct incentives.

“We all are online platforms, but our business models differ; we complete one another. Crossroad has one particularity; we provide tools to our partners to open their online stores in our platform. Of course, great efforts will be needed for changing mentality, because there is this stereotype, as if products brought in from abroad are better,” Alexanyan said.

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