While the awards have been around since 1997, the Retail Employer Award was first introduced at the 2024 the Outstanding Filipino Retailers (OFR) Awards Night—with the PENSHOPPE Group being the inaugural winner.
The Penshoppe Group—formally GOLDEN ABC, Inc. (GABC), the fashion retail arm of the LH Paragon Group—was conferred with the first-ever Retail Employer Award at the Outstanding Filipino Retailers (OFR) Awards on September 25 at the Solaire Resort North. The said accolade was introduced in an endeavor to recognize retail employers who are committed to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace. As such, the criteria for judging encompassed people development initiatives, employee engagement and satisfaction, innovative HR practices, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and community engagement, workplace diversity and inclusion, and employee benefits and well-being.
VP for Strategy & Operations Bryan Liu delivering the acceptance speech for the Retail Employer of the Year on behalf of GOLDEN ABC
“As a company, the Penshoppe Group holds ourselves to the highest standard of excellence in our ways of working, serving our customers and the community, and building a values-centric organization that nurtures a culture of integrity, continuous learning, and innovation,” said Bryan Liu, GABC VP for Strategy and Operations upon receiving the accolade during the OFR Awards Night.
“We are grateful for this validation of all our efforts, but at the same time, we recognize the weight of the responsibility the award brings. While we continue to upskill, train, and empower our people to develop their professional talents in the retail industry, we are reminded to never lose sight of what ultimately drives us, and that is our purpose to inspire greatness in anyone and everyone, and this includes the whole of Team GABC, whose lives we touch and change for the better,” he added.
The awarding body likewise considered how GABC’s people development initiatives have impacted the growth and advancement of its people, as well as how its employee engagement activities have fostered a fulfilling work environment. The ways in which GABC’s HR and CSR practices have shaped its business practices were likewise lauded with the conferment of the award.
The Penshoppe Group’s team building and retreat program, GABC Days
As part of its employee recognition program, GABC employees were sent to Thailand in celebration of their outstanding performance
“Since our founding nearly 40 years ago, we have always believed that the better we perform as a business, the more good we can do as a company. This reflects in the programs we provide our people with, as well as the initiatives we do for the community. After all, our successes are borne out of the hard work and commitment of our people,” said GABC President and COO Alice Liu.
Under her leadership, Liu placed focus on operational innovation, employee engagement, and organizational development. This prioritization has been a strategic and deliberate decision by Liu whose practices are informed by other positions she holds across key business organizations. On top of serving as GABC’s president, Liu is a Board Director and Vice President of the Philippine Retailers Association, board member of the Philippine Franchise Association, and a member of the Makati Business Club.
In its efforts to boost employee morale and engagement, GABC mounts regular townhall and service award events
Through her leadership, Liu says GABC will remain focused on importing even more talent and toolboxes that will enable GABC to succeed in what she anticipates will still be a disruptive industry.
As a learning organization, GOLDEN ABC holds several learning and development sessions through the year under the moniker “Learning Blitz.” Topics have included lean six sigma, product development, public speaking, and artificial intelligence, to name a few.
“As we continue to work toward our vision of building brands for the world, we will strengthen our core values that will guide us with our behavior and decisions. Likewise, the skills and training that we provide our people will keep becoming more sophisticated and advanced, so these will be commensurate with the goals we have set to achieve. While we relentlessly develop talent internally, we will also continue to bring in new talents whose tools and practices can help us improve and reinvent how we serve our customers—not just in the Philippines but across the globe,” said Liu.
The OFR Awards was established in 1997 by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to celebrate excellence in the Philippine retail industry. The annual awards ceremony aims to put the spotlight on retail enterprises whose successes demonstrate unique growth, creativity, and business practices. The OFR also serves as a venue to recognize retailers who possess a unique business acumen that make them stand out in the ever-evolving landscape of retail.
