Mercato Centrale Group, the country’s leading food business incubator, has partnered with tech solutions provider Peddlr Philippines Inc. to provide digital tools that help small food entrepreneurs streamline operations and scale their businesses.
The strategic collaboration introduces Peddlr’s point-of-sale and analytics platform to food Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within the Mercato ecosystem, supporting their shift toward data-driven and tech-enabled operations.
The partnership was formalized by leadership teams from both organizations during the contract signing, including Mercato Centrale’s CEO RJ Ledesma and General Manager Dan Aguilar, along with Peddlr’s Head of Product Kendrick Chan and Go-to-Market Senior Associate Janri Tomioka.
“This partnership is a vital part of Mercato Centrale’s vision,” said Ledesma. “It’s not enough to serve great food. Our vendors need to understand operations, manage finances, and build customer relationships. With Peddlr, they can take control of their business using practical and accessible tools.”
Peddlr’s mobile app streamlines operations for food businesses by offering point-of-sale functions, inventory tracking, QRPH-enabled payments, and real-time sales monitoring. Once available only to larger enterprises, these tools are now being extended to MSMEs through the partnership with Mercato Centrale.
“Access to analytics changes the game for our vendors,” said Aguilar. “They can now run promos more effectively, adjust pricing, and monitor margins. It’s an essential upgrade for today’s entrepreneurs.”
To bridge the digital divide, the partnership includes training and onboarding support for vendors with limited digital experience or older devices. It also establishes a secure data-sharing ecosystem that connects Mercato Centrale directly with its merchant network, enabling more targeted initiatives and enhanced support for MSMEs. For partners with older tech devices or less digital experience, the organizations plan to provide training and onboarding so they can also utilize these digital features.
Mercato and Peddlr aim to bring these tools to hundreds of vendors across Metro Manila, enabling them to grow smarter and more sustainably in an increasingly competitive food landscape.
