Tycoon Lucio Co’s grocery retailer Puregold Price Club, Inc. (PGOLD) is the third listed major consumer company after Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. and Wilcon Depot to report an uptick in consumer traffic and their growing basket sizes.

Puregold posted a 6.5 percent improvement in consolidated net income to ₱2.64 billion in the first quarter of 2025 from the ₱2.48 billion it earned in the same period last year due to strong topline growth and stable gross margins.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the firm said it grew consolidated revenues by 10.8 percent to ₱52.42 billion for the first quarter of 2025, from ₱47.32 billion same period last year. 

For the first quarter of 2025, the enterprise experienced positive same-store sales growth (SSSG) of 5.9 percent from Puregold Stores, driven by higher basket size, and four percent from S&R Warehouse clubs, driven by higher traffic.

As of end March 2025, PGOLD operates 757 stores nationwide, comprising 662 Puregold stores, 30 S&R Membership Shopping Warehouses, and 65 S&R New York Style QSRs.

Puregold said last month that it is reducing its capital expenditures to ₱6.35 billion this year from the ₱8.1 billion it allotted in 2024, although it expects to grow consolidated revenues by six percent to eight percent in 2025.

For this year, Puregold is allotting ₱1.9 billion for 30 new Puregold stores as well as ₱3 billion for three S&R Membership warehouse stores and 14 S&R quick service restaurants.

The firm is also earmarking ₱200 million for logistics capex and ₱1.25 billion for maintenance capex, solar projects, and information technology upgrades.

For the next two years, Puregold aims to grow its business by expanding its organic store network by eight percent to 10 percent in more provincial areas (second—to fourth-class municipalities) and developing and expanding Puremart in dense communities.

The firm acquired Puremart’s 153 stores for ₱568 million last year to address its need to fill the gap in “proximity shipping.” It noted that Puremart stores, at an average of 150 square meters each, are cheaper to put up at a cost of about ₱2.5 million each.

The firm also aims to increase the number of its loyal shoppers through wholesale initiatives and marketing programs, localized assortment, pricing and promo initiatives, as well as develop its hospitality, resturants, and cafes business.

It also aims to increase basket size and profit margins by disproportionately growing its Fresh category and house brands as well as enter into joint business plans with top suppliers to grow base brands and develop growth categories.