On 12th February 2018, Sarinah signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the village-owned enterprises (Badan Usaha Milik Desa, or BUMDes) from the Garut Regency, at an event held at Sindanggalih Sub-district in Garut, West Java. The MoU will see Sarinah assist these enterprises in establishing a Desa Mart store concept. This initiative is aimed at advancing local village economies by building a network of minimarkets through which villagers can sell or buy household products at affordable prices — another key purpose of Desa Mart is to help residents develop relevant skills in business and finance management.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Regent of Garut Mr Rudy Gunawan, Assistant Deputy of Domestic Market Strengthening and Business Regulations at the Coordinating Ministry of Economics Mr Mochammad Edy Yusuf, President Director of Sarinah Mr GNP Sugiarta Yasa, and Ms Indyruwani Asikin Natanegara as Sarinah’s Director of Trade and Property. Mr Yasa stated that through Sarinah’s longstanding experience, the company can help facilitate the growth of retail and trade from the regency’s more than 400 villages — the company has previously featured the tenun cabut (woven) fabrics by the Issam brand from Garut at its new counter at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali.
This latest cooperation will further expand Sarinah's distribution network and positively impact its highly-efficient supply chain system. By keeping close ties with local manufacturers, the company has garnered a reputation for identifying new business opportunities that assist in the advancement of Indonesian brands on the national and global stage.