Puregold, the local grocery giant, walked away from the Retail Asia Awards 2025 in Singapore last week with two major wins: Hypermarket of the Year (Philippines) and Integrated Campaign of the Year (Philippines). Not bad for a homegrown chain up against the region’s retail big dogs.
So, who’s steering this winning cart? The spotlight falls squarely on Vincent Co, president of Puregold Price Club Inc. and heir to the empire built by Lucio and Susan Co. He’s proving he didn’t just inherit the name—he inherited the instincts, too.
Since assuming the top seat in 2015, Vincent has pulled Puregold from grocery aisle mainstay to multi-platform heavyweight.
From the Aling Puring membership program and its now-ubiquitous app, to the massive Tindahan ni Aling Puring Sari-Sari Convention, Co’s playbook has been heavy on innovation and bold in scope.
But it’s his venture into what insiders now call “retailtainment”—the merging of retail with entertainment—that’s shaking up the industry.
Co pushed Puregold into streaming screens and stadiums, with content series, the CinePanalo Film Festival and the Nasa Atin ang Panalo OPM campaign grabbing public attention. And if you missed it: OPM Con 2025 brought 30,000 fans to Philippine Arena on July 5. Yes, a supermarket just pulled off the year’s biggest concert.
All that visibility isn’t just about vibes. The bottom line’s showing muscle, too.
Puregold reported a P10.4-billion profit in 2024, up 20 percent year-on-year. And in the first quarter of 2025 alone, profits hit P2.64 billion, rising 6.5 percent from the same period in 2024.
Vincent Co’s version of Puregold isn’t just stacking groceries—it’s stacking wins. With sales, fans, and now international awards, Co may be leading the country’s first grocery chain to go fully global. And judging by the current momentum, he’s just getting started.
Senior Reporter
