Puregold Price Club Inc. has assured sari-sari store owners of its continued support, pushing back against concerns over the rapid proliferation of modern retail formats, including streamlined convenience stores and hard-discount outlets.

In a statement on Sunday, Nov. 30, the supermarket chain said the neighborhood tindahan is not merely a business channel but an irreplaceable fixture in Filipino society. 
Co argued that the stores hold a competitive advantage rooted in trust and hyper-local connection.

“We are confident that with our full support, the neighborhood tindahans are here to stay,” said Puregold President Vincent Co.

Puregold, which relies heavily on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for its expansive wholesale and distribution network, acknowledged the retailers’ concerns.

“We understand that our sari-sari store owners might be worried about the rise of modern retail formats and how customer habits have evolved,” Co said.

Puregold's strategy positions traditional stores and modern convenience outlets as non-mutually exclusive, arguing that they fulfill distinct consumer needs.

While competitors prioritize scale and efficiency, traditional stores thrive on social exchange, credit systems, and community anchoring—elements that modern formats struggle to replicate.

Co said the company is amplifying this “human element” through a new digital campaign that pays tribute to the sari-sari store’s role as the community’s unofficial navigational and information hub. This highlights the socio-economic function of these small ventures, which also serve as a crucial lifeline for low-income families by selling in tingi (small, single portions), making daily necessities accessible.

Puregold's primary mechanism for buttressing these micro-retailers is the Tindahan ni Aling Puring Program (TNAP). The program recently crossed the one million-member milestone, providing participants with operational support, including access to goods at competitive wholesale pricing, product assortment and loyalty rewards as well as entrepreneurship training.

For Puregold, securing the loyalty of this vast network is a strategic imperative. Sari-sari stores constitute a substantial portion of the Philippine retail landscape, acting as decentralized last-mile distribution centers, particularly in dense urban and rural areas where large supermarkets and convenience chains have limited penetration.

“This human element is the ultimate competitive advantage that ensures that the tindahan will always remain relevant,” Co noted.

He stressed that the inherent trust built between the store owner and the neighborhood provides a long-term defense against competitors focused purely on transactional efficiency.

By assuring support and investing in TNAP, Puregold seeks to deepen its integration with the nation's informal economy, securing its market share in the wholesale sector and mitigating risks posed by expanding domestic and foreign-owned convenience store operators.