Frequently Asked Questions

You asked, we listen! We've identified some common queries about the Roots Collective both online and offline, and collated them here so that they're all crystal clear.

What is the "Roots Collective"?

The Roots Collective is, first and foremost, a community of local and social entrepreneurs. They work for inclusive and sustainable development through entrepreneurship. We're an enterprise of enterprises that value community, creativity, and sustainability.

More precisely, we have built a platform that rests on three pillars - market access (our retail side) and capacity-building and funding facilitation (our development side). We're more than just a local artisanal store or a startup incubator - we build and grow enterprises from the ideation to the scale-up stage, and everything in between.

So what do you guys exactly do?

Our more visible side is as a local artisanal store - you've probably seen our Katipunan space and our BGC pop-up store, and now you're seeing this online store. We sell premium local products with a social mission.

But behind that store is an entire ecosystem to encourage entrepreneurship and grow existing enterprises. We believe in the power of youth entrepreneurship to create positive impact. As such, our sister institute, the Sibol Program, takes care of capacity-building.

Where is Roots Katipunan in all this?

Roots Katipunan was the starting point. Opened in 2016, it was a co-working space and boutique that saw the growth of many local brands. It served as a venue for conversations on entrepreneurship, sustainability, and community-building. Working from there, we dreamed up a bigger vision for ourselves and decided to pursue alternative paths for growth.

The Katipunan store officially closed at the end of February 2020. While it was the end of the physical space, it marked the beginning of our new journey as a collective. We are now investing in serving our partner entrepreneurs through other sales channels and digital marketing.

What do you sell?

We carry local products under local brands, both social enterprises and inclusive or mindful businesses. These range across the following categories:

  • Books
  • Clothes and apparel
  • Crafts and stationery
  • Disinfectants and cleaners
  • Fashion accessories
  • Food and drink (packaged)
  • Footwear
  • Gadget accessories
  • Home care
  • Personal care and wellness
  • Pet care
  • Zero-waste goods

Are all your products produced locally?

We do have several enterprises whose products are either partially or entirely manufactured overseas. However, the brands are all homegrown and 100% Filipino.

How are you coping in the COVID-19 situation?

We closed the Roots BGC pop-up earlier than expected, and have suspended planning for all other pop-up stores. For now, we are selling online or directly only, and we are working on launching a new digital campaign full of hope.

We have several partner enterprises also expanding their business to counter the coronavirus fallout. HABI Lifestyle and Gouache are working with urban artisans to produce more eco-friendly masks and PPEs, respectively. Woven also recently launched its Bahay Kubo program, an initiative for food sustainability, which aims to distribute farming kits to its partner communities in the rural areas so they can practice farming for self-sustenance.

What are your e-commerce arrangements?

We currently consolidate orders at the home of one of our team members, which acts as our temporary warehouse. All orders are shipped out from here. It's located near the point where Quezon City, Marikina, and Pasig meet.

Please take note that large orders may incur higher costs or be slightly delayed.

Is there a minimum for delivery?

None! We offer free shipping for Metro Manila orders above Php2,000.00. Provincial orders above Php2,000.00 also get a shipping discount. :)

I'm an entrepreneur and I would like to list my products with you. How do we go about this?

Welcome to the Roots Collective! Shoot us an email at therootscollectiveph@gmail.com or message us on our social media channels, and we'll get in touch there.

What are your store's policies for privacy, returns and refunds?

You may check our policies through the links below:
- Privacy: https://rootscollective.ph/policies/privacy-policy
- Refunds: https://rootscollective.ph/policies/refund-policy
- Shipping: https://rootscollective.ph/policies/shipping-policy
- Terms of Service: https://rootscollective.ph/policies/terms-of-service