[su_slider source="media: 34950,34949,34948,34947"] Layan Damanhouri Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — In its first attempt, Basta Market launched on Friday, brought together vendors and owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in an open market. For some, it was their first time to sell in a bazaar. Most of the enterprises have come up within the last year or so. "One of the challenges SMEs face is lack of exposure," says Bandar Arab, director of the SMEs center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "This market aims to offer them a chance to interact with customers as well as form potential partnerships with other enterprises." "A lot of SMEs are not able to reach the consumer market because they don't have the means to advertise," Arab adds. An initiative by the SMEs Center at JCCI, Basta Market will be running every Friday for the next three months with an expected attendance of 100 vendors each week. The market includes local vendors specialized in handmade goods, arts, crafts, clothing apparel, and even food stalls. Nahid Fatani owns and sells crochet goods for more than a year at My Crochet. "We currently have a boutique but want to transfer to a factory and invite Saudi craftswomen to join us," she says. "Despite their small chance in succeeding, SMEs have a potential to grow into big enterprises that serve society and contribute to the economy." Many SMEs sell their products or services online or on social media. Salha Al-Ghamdi who sells textile goods says, "We usually sell on Instagram or at bazaars and similar markets like this one. Social media is not enough, however. Basta market has been great so far because it gave us a chance to get to know people." She adds, "I want eventually to open a textile factory." Several businesses are run by young Saudis. Dietician Khawla Al-Ohali sells granola mixtures in an attempt to penetrate the market with a new product in healthy foods. Her business Nutty Bites is six months old and she hopes to open a store one day. "Many people don't know what granola is but we received much popularity on Instagram," she says. "In supermarkets, one rarely finds fresh granola so I decided to do it myself." When asked about her experience at Basta Market, she said, "Usually, when we want to participate as vendors in a bazaar, there's little support in attracting us. We usually find them too expensive. However, Basta Market's offer was ideal for us." Insanon Ana sells locally designed T-shirts. Yasser Nourwali, selling at the booth, says, "Our aim is to shift the trend from English brands to Arabic print on clothing. At the same time, the shirts are stylish and have meaningful messages." Much of their products are currently advertised and sold through Instagram. He adds, "Our limitation lies in marketing. We are aiming to open a store and expand our line from T-shirts and scarves to other forms of attire." In an attempt to diversify the economy and support local businesses, the Kingdom recently approved creation of an authority to regulate SMEs last October. Basta Market brings together vendors and owners of SMEs in an open market to boost their marketing needs.
