The Country's Most Prolific Wet Market Operator

Lahat Kakain

Star Market is a wet market operator who currently manages 7 existing palengkes in Quezon City, Caloocan City and Pasig City. We aim to professionalize the world of traditional wet markets and have branches in every city and every barrio in the Philippines.

We’re primarily a leasing company focused on providing palengke entrepreneurs with the best environment to do business. We pride ourselves in having tenants that come from the marginalized section of society and with very limited resources, turn them from aspiring entrepreneurs to seasoned merchants and traders. People who are able to provide a handsome living to their families. We’ve seen that regardless of an individual’s background, as long as there’s the right combination of hardwork, motivation, guidance and mentorship, anyone can make a thriving business in a palengke.

We are customer-centric, we believe that if our primary customers, our tenants, are able to succeed in their respective businesses, it’ll carry over in our ability to maximize our occupancy, provide above industry standard compensation for our employees, stimulate the economy of the community and be able to provide generous returns for our investors. It’s a high bar but we strive to make everyone who is touched by Star Market nourished and profitable. In short… LAHAT KAKAIN.

Who we are

It is said that palengkes are the precursor for supermarkets and malls. They’re certainly selling the same basic goods. But unlike supermarkets, palengkes have yet to be professionalized.You never see a wet market with different branches and with the same look and feel as you see in chain supermarkets and malls.

Therein lies the opportunity.

By professionalizing the wet market industry, we are providing the simple Filipino with an opportunity to get into an easy to understand and potentially lucrative business without having a high barrier of entry typical of other retail establishments. If they lack in resources, we provide the suppliers, give them basic training, mentorship and even point them towards low interest financing. All of these things are crucial in any kind of business.

More importantly since most tenants are within the area of our branches, profits are kept within the community, providing jobs and an honest living for everyone who does business with us. Instead of the usual situation where profits are taken out of the community and go to a huge conglomerate.

At the same time the community gains a lot by having access to a wet market with affordable prices. Low prices are afterall, a Star Market trademark. The households, restaurants and canteens do not have to brave the traffic to enjoy cheaper prices. The tricycles and pedicabs are busier. Taxes are collected by the LGUs. Everybody wins. This is what we mean by ang lahat ay kakain.

We’ve been managing several wet markets successfully for more than a decade and this experience emboldens us to dream to be the Philippines’ First Wet Market Chain with branches in every munincipality in the Philippines.

Stalls for Lease

We have available stalls for all kinds of palengke goods like pork, chicken, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, etc.

You can view the list of current Star Market branches here.

Testimonials

Bago ako maging negosyante dati akong nagtatrabaho bilang security guard, nang umalis ako sa pagiging security guard sumubok pa ako ng iba pang trabaho bilang maintenance naman sa ibang kumpanya. Hindi sapat ang kinikita kaya naisip kong magnegosyo sa palengke.

Nagsimula ako sa isang maliit na stall lamang at ngayon umabot na ng tatlong stalls ang aking mina-manage. Dalawang stalls para sa isdaan at isa naman sa niyogan. Meron narin akong mga trabahador na katulong ko sa aking negosyo.

Sa loob ng isang taon nakapagpundar na ako ng dalawang lote sa antipolo, unti unti kong pinag-iipunan ang bahay na balak namin ipatayo doon. Sunod ko naman pinag-iipunan ang sasakyan na pwede kong magamit sa aking negosyo.
Bong lopez
(fish and coconut vendor,
dating security guard)

Nagsimula akong mamasukan bilang tindera ng karne sa palengke. Dahil hindi rin sumasapat ang sinasahod ko sa pagtitindera, nagpursige ako para makakuha ng sarili kong pwesto dito sa palengke. Taong 2018, dalawang linggo after kong manganak ng magstart na ako ng sarili kong negosyo ng baboy at manok.

Dati kami lang ng asawa ko ang nag-aasikaso at nagtitinda sa isang maliit na pwesto namin dito sa palengke. Hanggang sa pakonti-konti nadagdagan ang aming trabahador at ang 20k na puhunan namin nung kami ay nagsisimula pa lamang ay dahan dahan rin namin napalago. Ngayon meron na kaming mahigit sampung trabahador na tumutulong samin sa pag-aasikaso ng aming negosyo. Nadagdagan rin kami ng isa pang pwesto at ngayon nagbabalak rin kaming kumuha pa ng isa pang pwesto dito sa palengke para sa aming negosyo.

Sa loob ng 5 years na pagnenegosyo ko sa palengke nakapagpundar na kami ng sariling bahay at lupa, nakabili narin kami ng iilang lote at meron narin kaming paupahan. Nakakapagbigay at nakakatulong narin ako sa aking mga magulang.

Melai sabeniano
(5 years meat shop entrepreneur)

13 years old ako ng magsimula akong magtrabaho sa isang kumpanya ng frozen meats. Dahil bata palang ako wala pa sa isip ko ang magnegosyo kaya nagfocus lang ako sa aking trabaho. Nang ako ay magkaroon ng sarili kong pamilya sa murang edad naisip kong hindi sapat ang kinikita ko sa aking trabaho. Kaya nag-ipon ako ng puhunan para sa gusto kong negosyo at dahil alam ko na kung paano ang kalakaran sa pagbebenta ng karne naging daan din ito para ako ay makapagsimula ng sarili kong negosyo.

Taong 2016 nang magsimula ako sa negosyo kong frozen meat nang makahanap ako ng pwesto dito sa palengke na pinag-dedeliveran ko dati sa aking trabaho, nagsimula ako sa 1 maliit na stall lang at dahil sa maganda at mabilis ang kita sa pagnenegosyo sa palengke nadagdagan na ngayon ng 4 stalls at meron narin akong 1 branch sa iba pang palengke.

Sa loob ng 5 years simula nang magsimula ako sa sarili kong negosyo masasabi kong marami na akong natutunan sa edad na 27 years old. Naka-ipon at nakapagpundar narin ako ng sariling bahay para sa pamilya ko at 2 motor na nagagamit ko rin sa aking negosyo.
Sandy obsinada
(frozen meat vendor)

COMING SOON THIS 2023

TANAUAN, BATANGAS

Join Our Journey

When lechon manok, pearl shakes, shawarma stands, and siomai food carts, became fads, companies were quick to start making their own brand and built a chain of branches. Curiously, palengkes have been around since time immemorial but no one made a wet market chain. Supermarkets tried to take the place of the palengke but they weren’t successful, still the wet markets stand.

We want to be the brand that becomes synonymous with wet markets; the country’s first wet market chain.

When should you leave a good-paying job and go full time in your side business? Shred Santiago spent years balancing a corporate career with his palengke business. But in 2018, he decided to take the plunge and invest in his wet markets full-time.

He promptly traded his neck ties for a helmet and a motorcycle. If you ask Shred, it was a practical decision. “Traffic’s only going to get worse and a motorcycle shaves off 15-30% of my travel time,” he claims.

These days, the busy CEO needs all the time he can get. Once a humble talipapa, Star Market has grown to seven palengkes in three cities–Caloocan, Novaliches, and Pasig. And more branches are coming. The ambitious owner wants a Star Market in every city in the country.

Shred credits Star Market’s expansive growth to innovation. “Wet markets have been around since the time of Christ and yet they haven’t changed much–at least in the Philippines. We’re bringing the palengke into the 21st century.”

His list of industry improvements are largely inspired by his time in the corporate world. For instance, Star Market offers tenants the skills training you’d find in a corporate environment.

Shred: “Palengke vendors aren’t a commodity to exploit. Even though they start out with very limited resources, they’re valued business partners. We try to give them the tools they need and with their dedication, a lot of them make a very nice living for themselves.”

When asked if supermarkets will put palengkes out of business, the CEO had strong opinions, “No, bad management puts palengkes out of business. Our industry can learn a lot from supermarkets, but most operators are afraid to change. In our Pasig branch, we’ve tried to combine the best of both worlds–the professionalism of a supermarket at palengke prices.”

The flagship branch in Pasig is what Shred calls “a new era in wet markets.” When you visit Star Market Pasig, the first thing you notice is the eye-catching signage, inspired by the famed Pike Place Market in Seattle. With its convenient CBD location, beautifully presented produce, steady flow of foot-traffic and easy to talk to vendors, it’s clear Star Market Pasig aims to be an economic and community centerpiece.

Reagan Richardson has over five years experience as a business and SEO writer. Her educational background in journalism has given her a broad base from which to approach many topics. She enjoys crafting articles on small businesses, technology, and financial trends in the Philippines.

Awards

Star Market is proud to announce that we have won the Transformative Ecosystem Award from GCash’s Digital Excellence Awards for 2022.

True to our mission of wanting to professionalize the palengke industry, we have implemented initiatives to bring technology such as cashless payments to vendors in our wet market branches which allows them to accept GCash payments.

It’s such an honor to be awarded with well known brands such as Max’s Group Inc, Coca-cola Beverages Philippines Inc, Lalamove, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, Unilever Philippines, and many more.

We are thankful to GCash for recognizing Star Market and we’re looking forward to a longer partnership with them.