PRINCE Retail Group, operator of Prince Hypermart, was recognized at the Asean Summit on Business Inclusivity in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a model social enterprise for its success in reaching marginalized communities in remote parts of the Philippines.
The Cebu-based retailer, founded by entrepreneur Robert Go, was cited for its scalable and sustainable model that combines modern retail with social enterprise, enabling it to serve Filipinos at the base of the pyramid while supporting thousands of micro-entrepreneurs.
“From the beginning, our mission has been clear — to serve the underserved,” Go said. “Our vision of ‘one town, one Prince’ has guided us since we opened our first store in Cebu in 1990, long before inclusivity became a global agenda.”
Prince Hypermart was featured at the Asean Summit Business Forum held in Kuala Lumpur last Sept. 11–12, 2025.
Prince Retail operates 74 hypermarkets across 27 provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao, employing about 8,000 Filipinos and serving around 100,000 customers daily. Its business model also supports an estimated 50,000 sari-sari stores, or neighborhood shops, through affordable working capital of nearly P1 billion annually and a supply chain that reaches even far-flung towns and islands.
The Asean recognition, Go explained, came unprompted. “We did not set out to win awards. We were ‘found’ and recognized because our inclusive business model operates much like a social enterprise, while remaining scalable and sustainable,” he said.
Go represented the Philippines in a panel discussion and was also invited to an Asean workshop attended by country representatives and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to discuss inclusive business models.
Prince Retail has pioneered initiatives such as embedding banking services inside its stores in partnership with Bank of the Philippine Islands, providing first-time access to financial services in rural areas. The company has also invested in logistics, technology and sustainable store design to keep prices low and operations efficient.
Expansion in Mindanao
Looking ahead, Go said the group is focusing on expanding further in Mindanao, which he described as “a virgin, underdeveloped land with so many communities we can help.”
In sharing his lessons with fellow entrepreneurs, Go stressed that inclusive business must be sustainable to succeed.
“For inclusive businesses, the challenge is not just doing good — it is doing good sustainably,” he said. “You have to balance pricing, which determines your margins, and operations, which determine your costs. Once you find that sweet spot, scale becomes your engine. Volume fuels growth, and growth creates impact.”
He also urged entrepreneurs to stay clear about what they want customers to remember them for. “That clarity builds trust and keeps them coming back. For us, it meant being reliable, affordable, and accessible — so that even the poorest communities could count on us,” he said.
In 2022, research firm Kantar ranked Prince Retail as the sixth most preferred retailer in the Philippines and the leading retailer in the Visayas region. Last year, the company also received the Asean Inclusive Business Award in Vientiane, Lao PDR. / KOC