Puregold to spend P1.25 billion this year for 25 new stores

MANILA, Philippines — Puregold Price Club Inc. is looking to spend P1.25 billion for the opening of 25 new stores this year.

Antonio De Los Santos, vice president for operations at Puregold,  told reporters  on the sidelines of the supermarket chain’s Tindahan ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention yesterday the company was  targeting to open 25 new stores this year.

He said the company would spend P50 million for each store.

“We opened seven so far,” he said.

At present, Puregold’s total store count is at 437.

In terms of the location, he said Puregold would set up new stores in areas where the retailer currently has a low footprint.

Puregold is looking at the National Capital Region, as well as the Visayas and Mindanao for its store expansion.

“When an opportunity presents itself and it meets our criteria and validation that we can set up Puregold, we will go there,” De Los Santos said.

Despite the pandemic, Puregold opened 30 new stores last year and another 30 in 2020.

Puregold senior manager for marketing Ivy Piedad said the company’s  Tindahan ni Aling Puring program which allows sari-sari store and business owners to increase the potential for their net earnings and to enjoy incentives, achieved a milestone last year, as its membership reached 660,000 even with the ongoing pandemic.

This is higher than the 575,000 members recorded  in 2020 and 525,000 members in 2019.

De Los Santos said the membership increased as people who lost their jobs during the pandemic decided to set up their own sari-sari stores.

“We were just fortunate that when they thought of opening a sari-sari store, they thought of Puregold as their partner,” he said.

Apart from Tindahan ni Aling Puring representatives going out to look for new sari-sari stores that can become part of the program, Puregold also made it easier for sari-sari stores to become members by making online applications available and waiving some requirements such as barangay permits.

As Puregold is supporting sari-sari stores, De Los Santos said the supermarket chain  wants the new administration to also help these small businesses thrive.

“With the incoming administration, we need to invest in more ways on how to educate MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) especially those setting up sari-sari stores  on how to start it properly. More importantly, how to sustain and maintain the business,” he said.

“We need to teach them to be able to grow and sustain the business. If that were to happen, we want the government to make major investments in that aspect,” he said.