Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. (MRSGI), one of the leading retail operators in the Philippines, announced robust financial results for the first nine months (9M) of 2025, demonstrating the effectiveness of its expansion and resilience of its business model. The company reported a significant surge in cash earnings and continued growth in net sales, underscoring its positive trajectory despite a challenging operating environment.
MRSGI recorded net sales of PhP28.70 billion for the first nine months of 2025, marking a 4.1% growth year-over-year. The third quarter alone saw net sales climb 3.7% to PhP9.91 billion.
The primary driver of top-line growth was sustained strength across the company’s core businesses:
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Food retail grew by 4.6%.
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General merchandise sales increased by 2.8%.
Despite headwinds from typhoons and other calamities that impacted consumer spending, the company’s financial resilience was evident in its cash earnings. Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) saw a sharp rise of 18.5% to PhP1.53 billion for 9M 2025.
Additionally, MRSGI improved its blended gross margin to 21.7% from 21.1% in the prior year, primarily due to margin uplift in its food retail segment.
Net income for the period grew 4.2% to PhP213.3 million. The moderate pace of net income growth, compared to the substantial EBITDA jump, was attributed to an 8.7% increase in operating and non-cash expenses. This rise was mainly due to mandated wage hikes and a 22% increase in depreciation and amortization as the company continued to invest heavily in its growing network by opening new stores and warehouses.
MRSGI President and COO, Mr. Joselito Orense, commented on the results: “Our year-to-date sales growth of 4.1% and EBITDA upswing of 18.5% demonstrate that our expansion strategy is effectively broadening our market reach. While we saw temporary pressure on our net income due to the higher initial operating expenses in our growing network, the overall trajectory is positive and robust.”
Reinforcing its expansion strategy, MRSGI recently opened two new retail spaces:
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New Provincial Hub: A combined Metro Supermarket and Department Store was launched in Bais City, Negros Oriental, marking the company’s first store in the province.
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Lifestyle Format: A new lifestyle concept, Metro Corner, was introduced at Mandani Bay, Mandaue City, offering a curated selection of essentials, artisan goods, and international specialties.
The company currently operates a total of 79 branches across Luzon and the Visayas.
“We are now heading into the critical fourth-quarter holiday rush, and we are prepared to capitalize on this peak consumer season to deliver a solid finish to the year,” Mr. Orense added.
MRSGI’s commitment to ethical business practices was recognized with a Golden Arrow Award from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) for the second consecutive year. Furthermore, the company continues to be recognized for its size and influence, ranking in the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 list for the second consecutive year.
