Golden ABC Inc., a leading multi-brand fashion company in the Philippines, is spending PHP1 billion in capital expenditure this year to open 100 larger, new-concept stores to achieve over a thousand stores across its six brands before the end of 2026 by tapping into a growing in-store cafe retail concept.
Alice T. Liu, president and CEO of Golden ABC Inc., spoke to reporters at the 32nd National Retail Conference and Expo about the company’s aggressive push for growth. “We’re gearing up about PHP1 billion in capex this year to really grow stores, to continue to expand the ones we have. So, we might have the same number of sites, but they’re going to be bigger stores,” she said.
Liu noted that the bulk of the 100 store openings this year will be located in Metro Manila, where new shopping malls are rising. Through this aggressive rollout, the company expects its total store network across all six brands to hit the 1,000 mark by the end this year.
Golden ABC is the Filipino fashion powerhouse behind well-known local clothing labels such as Penshoppe, OXGN, ForMe, Memo, Regatta, and BOCU.
And the retail group is now experimenting with integrating coffee and snacking experiences directly into its retail spaces.
Penshoppe, its flagship brand, has introduced a dedicated coffee space called SIPP, which initially debuted at its SM Mall of Asia branch. “We’re testing it. We’re trying to see how we can be, how we can serve and be part of that evolving lifestyle of our customers,” she said, noting that young customers don’t just want to shop, they want to also sit and drink and talk with their friends.
However, Liu clarified that SIPP is not meant to be just another café chain, but rather a “fashion coffee brand” that mirrors the unique identity of its clothing lines.
To accommodate this vision, Golden ABC is focusing on larger store formats rather than entirely new standalone sites. This strategy extends to its newest addition, BOCU, a minimalist lifestyle and clothing brand that stands for “Beauty in the Ordinary, Comfort in the Understated.”
“So far, the stores that we have renovated with a new look are doing very well. So we’re very encouraged to invest because there is a return on investments,” she said.
“We’re mass because we believe in really democratizing fashion. Meaning, we want to make sure the Filipinos can look good with the budgets that they have in their pockets. And that you don’t have to be rich to look nice. You just have to look nice,” she added.
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Succession
Liu’s sons, Brandon and Brian, participated in a panel discussion highlighting next-generation leaders and succession planning within family corporations. During the panel, the brothers articulated how they have been given opportunities to take on executive leadership positions within the company. The Liu siblings noted that they look forward to seeing their parents take time for themselves now that the next generation is mature and responsible enough to manage the family business.
Liu shared that she occasionally reflects on the demanding nature of the industry: “Do I want to wish for the kind of life that we had on them? Because we know, as parents, we know that it wasn’t easy, right? And there were a lot of sacrifices. So we always ask them, do you want it? Because if you want it, you’ll get something in return. And you have to be willing to put in the hours.”
She emphasized that earning a leadership executive role in a family business ultimately requires proving one’s capability within the company.
Sourcing
Despite the allure of higher profit margins associated with importing garments from overseas manufacturing hubs like China, Liu emphasized that Golden ABC remains dedicated to domestic sourcing.
As a company, Liu said they always believe that it’s all about circulating the money, “True, it may be easier for us to buy in China. It may be cheaper. It may be more efficient. But the thing is, what will be the job of people when all the jobs are outside,” she said. The corporation directly employs close to 5,000 workers across its retail stores and corporate offices.
Admittedly, local production faces hurdles due to a declining domestic knitting and dyeing industry. This forces Golden ABC’s local suppliers and subcontractors to source raw fabrics from abroad, though the final assembly of the goods is still done locally based entirely on the company’s in-house designs.
Golden ABC has no plans to pursue backward integration or venture directly into textile manufacturing. Liu noted that doing so would be difficult as it constitutes an entirely separate industry. “We want to focus really on design and retail,” she added.
While Golden ABC brands do not have physical international stores yet, the group is currently laying the groundwork for overseas expansion, including searching for the right corporate partners. For now, its collections remain available to global shoppers online.
