Navigating the Woke Era: Synergizing Sustainability and Innovation in Fashion Retail According to Bernie and Alice Liu of Golden ABC (Penshoppe)

In an ever-changing fashion industry that is ruled by trends, Bernie and Alice Liu of Golden ABC reveal strategies to cater to a new generation of fashion-conscious individuals.

Legacy brands make successful business narratives, having withstood the test of time and the ever-changing trends of the market. Built from the ground up and made to last, these brands have grown into what they are today—thanks to a keen understanding of the market, constant innovation, and pioneering new products or services.

Case in point: Penshoppe, a well-known and well-loved household name among Filipinos. Since its inception in 1986, when it first began as a simple t-shirt company in Cebu, the brand has now grown to dominate retail fashion with its 50% market share. What's more, it has even expanded on international shores, having become a global retail name in Southeast Asia and the Middle Eastern areas.

At the helm of the country's leading fashion retail brand sits Bernie Liu—the current Chairman and CEO of the brand's parent company, Golden ABC. While his name has become synonymous with the brand, what many do not know is that his wife Alice has been his staunch supporter when it all began. And now, the spotlight is on her as she takes on her new role as the President and COO of Golden ABC.

In this exclusive interview with The Business Manual, the husband and wife tandem tell all—from the story of Penshoppe's success to the strategies that led to the company's overwhelming success, the dynamic of working with each other, and what future the couple has in store for Golden ABC.

From Family Business to Personal Brand

Coming from a Filipino-Chinese family, Bernie's roots were founded on entrepreneurship, as his family started and managed businesses of their own. "My late father started a business in the 60s—he was a lumberman," he begins. "We went into a lot of other small businesses until the garment business came about with the partnership with some friends in Manila."