• Bogota has more than 32,300 neighborhood stores, which in 2023 employed more than 140 thousand people, a figure that represents 3.4% of the total number of people employed in the city.

• This initiative is carried out with the support of the Federación Nacional de Comerciantes (Fenalco), which carries out the operation in the territory.

Bogota, June 21, 2024. With the aim of accompanying and enhancing the capacities of 3,000 shopkeepers and shopkeepers in Bogota and the region, for the second consecutive year the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and Bavaria join forces to provide specialized training and business strengthening tools, leadership, digital appropriation and productive capacity to this sector of the economy.

The training, which will take place between June and October of this year, in both virtual and on-site formats, seeks to promote the adoption of business practices, including the use of digital tools, accounting, pricing and competitiveness strategies, customer service, business planning, associativity and sustainability, among others.

Likewise, the benefits of this cooperation program will include advisory services and workshops in areas such as marketing, sales, financial empowerment and formalization. Ovidio Claros Polanco, president of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce, stated that "The figures show that this joint initiative between the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and the Bavaria Foundation has all the relevance and enormous potential to impact the capital's economy: neighborhood stores represent 7.6% of the total business fabric of Bogota and in 2023 they employed more than 140 thousand people, that is, 3.4% of the total number of people employed in the city".

In the case of Bavaria, this initiative is part of its Emprendedores Bavaria program, which has impacted more than 67,000 shopkeepers by increasing their income by more than 30%.

By the way, Sergio Rincón, president of Bavaria, said: "We are very proud to renew this alliance that bets on the progress of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Bogota-Region. Shopkeepers are our business partners. Without them we would not be able to reach our consumers the way we do today. Emprendedores Bavaria is our commitment to continue growing together and make the Traditional Channel increasingly more competitive", stated Sergio Rincón, president of Bavaria. This program seeks to strengthen the management and administration skills of each participant, promoting the growth of their businesses and providing quality experiences that generate wellbeing in their communities.