Puregold

File:Puregold Shaw Interior 2.jpg in Mandaluyong]]

File:Puregold Calamba (Calamba, Laguna; 2017-02-16).jpg]]

File:Luis_Co_Chi_Kiat_Mausoleum_05.jpg]]

Puregold owner Cosco Capital, Inc. is under the Luis Co Chi Kiat Foundation Inc. (LCCKFI), founded and registered on March 28, 2003, by the late Luis Co Chi Kiat's children. Lucio L. Co, married to Susan P. Co, is the Chairman of Cosco Capital, Inc., Puregold, and S&R Membership Shopping.[https://www.coscocapital.com/home.do] Lucio Co grew up in Santo Cristo, Divisoria. His parents, Luis Co Chi Kiat (October 5, 1917 – July 31, 2002) and Co Lao Siok Hian (April 6, 1924 – September 4, 2014) who owned Atlantic Glassware store, are buried at the Luis Co Chi Kiat Mausoleum in Manila Chinese Cemetery.{{cite news |last1= |first1= |title=Lucio Co: Wealth, Business Empire, and Life Outside Work|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/the-directory/lucio-co-wealth-business-empire-and-life-outside-work-a00203-20231206|accessdate=June 11, 2024 |publisher= esquiremag.ph|date=December 26, 2023}}

During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Chinese-Filipino businessman Lucio Co, who owned the Alcorn Gold Resources Corporation (later renamed Cosco Capital, Inc.), initially focused on oil and mineral exploration and development. However, due to the increasing price of commodities, the company ventured out into the retail industry, which at the time, was dominated by retail giant SM.{{Cite news |date=April 27, 2017 |title=Stories of Filipino Success: Lucio and Susan Co |work=Philippine Primer |url=https://primer.com.ph/business/stories-of-filipino-success-lucio-and-susan-co/ |access-date=January 3, 2024}}

On September 8, 1998, Puregold Price Club was founded by Lucio Co and his wife Susan Co. Its first branch opened on December 12, 1998 as the anchor tenant of Liberty Center (now Mandala Park){{Cite web |title=Our Legacy {{!}} Mandala Park, Litton & Co., Inc. |url=https://littonandcompany.com/litton-legacy.php |access-date=January 3, 2024 |website=Litton & Co., Inc.}} along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong.

In October 2011,{{cite news|date=February 13, 2012|title=Puregold IPO cited as 2011 Best Mid-Cap IPO by FinanceAsia|work=Philstar.com|url=https://www.philstar.com/business/2012/02/13/776590/puregold-ipo-cited-2011-best-mid-cap-ipo-financeasia|access-date=February 28, 2019}} Puregold Price Club went public and was inaugurated as a listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

In 2012, Puregold acquired Kareila Management Inc., which owns S&R Membership Shopping and its six operating outlets through a {{Philippine peso}}16.5 billion share swap, resulting in S&R becoming a Puregold subsidiary. In the same year, Puregold also acquired the Parco supermarket chain in a deal valued at around {{Philippine peso}}760 million from the Gant Group of Companies, which operates 19 outlets. These outlets were converted into Puregold branches.{{cite web |url=http://www.pse.com.ph/resource/disclosures/2012/pdf/dc2012-2369_PGOLD.pdf |title=Press release |website=pse.com.ph |access-date=June 23, 2019}}{{cite news |last=Lucas |first=Daxim L. |title=Puregold buys Parco supermarket chain |url=https://www.philstar.com/business/2012/07/05/824412/puregold-finalizes-sr-deal |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |access-date=May 13, 2024 |date=July 5, 2012}} The shareholders of the retail chain Puregold have approved the merger of the other two operating units into the parent company, consolidating Puregold's supermarket businesses under the publicly listed supermarket operator.{{cite news |title=Puregold consolidates supermarket businesses |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Corporate&title=Puregold-consolidates-supermarket-businesses&id=61878 |work=BusinessWorld |access-date=November 30, 2012 |date=November 23, 2012}}

In February 2013, global investment firm Capital Group Companies (CGC) bought 5.4% total outstanding stock of Puregold.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In May 2014, Puregold formed a joint venture with Japanese convenience store chain Lawson under the name PG Lawson Inc. Puregold owns 70% of the venture and they opened their first branch in San Andres, Manila on March 30, 2015.{{cite news |url=https://www.lawson.jp/en/news/detail/1246483_3566.html |title=We have set to open the first LAWSON Store in the Philippines on March 30th |website=Lawson.jp |date=March 26, 2015 |access-date=June 23, 2019}}

In 2020, Puregold introduced the Puregold Mobile app, offering services such as online delivery, in-store pick-up, and self-checkout. The mobile app also allows its Tindahan ni Aling Puring and Purehold Perks cards to be used as digitally.{{Cite news |last=Agustin |first=Ram |date=February 3, 2020 |title=Puregold launches mobile app to allow clients to scan items in-store |url=https://newsbytes.ph/2020/02/03/puregold-launches-mobile-app/ |access-date=November 14, 2024 |work=Newbytes.ph}}

In 2023, Puregold acquired 14 DiviMart supermarket branches, all in Luzon.{{cite news|url=https://www.rappler.com/business/puregold-acquires-divimart-supermarkets/|title=Puregold acquires 14 DiviMart supermarkets|first=Ralf|last=Rivas|work=Rappler|date=June 22, 2023|accessdate=June 22, 2023}}

On March 16, 2024, Puregold had its first CinePanalo Film Festival awards, which featured 6 full-length films by filmmakers (₱2.5 million grant each) and 25 short films by student directors (₱100,000 grant each). The films were shown in Gateway Mall. The festival is aimed to "uphold education as catalyst in a film medium, for present and future generations."{{cite news |last1=Almazan |first1= Faye |title=Take a look at the winners at the CinePanalo Film Festiva|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/showbiznews/news/19955/take-a-look-at-the-winners-at-the-cinepanalo-film-festival/photo |accessdate=June 11, 2024 |publisher=GMA Integrated News |date=March 18, 2024}}

In the second 2025 Puregold CinePanalo, a ₱3,000,000 full-length film production grant will be bestowed upon each of 7 directors, aside from a ₱150,000 grant to each of 25 student short filmmakers. The Awards Night is set for March 19, 2025.{{cite news |last1= |first1= |title=CinePanalo is gold |url= https://tribune.net.ph/2024/06/09/cinepanalo-is-gold|accessdate=June 11, 2024 |publisher= Daily Tribune (Philippines)|date=June 10, 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Puregold}}

• [http://www.puregold.com.ph/ Official website]

{{portal bar|Supermarkets|Companies}}{{PSEi}}{{Supermarkets of the Philippines}}

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Category:Retail companies established in 1998

Category:Supermarkets of the Philippines

Category:Companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange

Category:Companies based in Manila

Category:1998 establishments in the Philippines

Category:Companies in the PSE Composite Index

Category:Philippine companies established in 1998