Gaisano-led Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI) reported a 4.2 percent increase in profit in the first nine months of the year to ₱213.3 million, as cost-saving initiatives offset the drag on consumer spending from natural calamities.

Cash earnings, as measured by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), showed robust growth, climbing 18.5 percent to ₱1.53 billion for the first three quarters, the company said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The slower pace of net income growth relative to the EBITDA jump was primarily attributed to an 8.7 percent rise in operating and non-cash expenses. MRSGI cited mandated wage hikes that increased personnel costs, as well as a 22 percent rise in depreciation and amortization from the opening of new stores and warehouses.

MRSGI’s net sales reached ₱28.70 billion for the first nine months, a 4.1 percent year-on-year increase. Third-quarter net sales were ₱9.91 billion, up 3.7 percent from the previous year.

The overall upturn was driven by continued expansion efforts and sustained growth across its segments: food retail grew by 4.6 percent, while general merchandise rose by 2.8 percent. However, same-store sales were nearly flat, declining 0.9 percent for the nine-month period, as consumer spending eased following disruptions from typhoons and other calamities.

"Our year-to-date sales growth of 4.1 percent and EBITDA upswing of 18.5 percent demonstrate that our expansion strategy is effectively broadening our market reach," said MRSGI President and Chief Operating Officer Joselito Orense. "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.”

For the first nine months of 2025, the blended gross margin improved to 21.7 percent from 21.1 percent a year earlier, bolstered by continued margin uplift in food retail. The company stated that the “healthy performance in top-line metrics and EBITDA underscores the resilience of MRSGI's business model and validates its strategy of investing in new retail spaces.”

Reinforcing its planned expansion, MRSGI recently opened a combined Metro Supermarket and Department Store in Bais City, Negros Oriental, marking its first site in the province. It also launched a new lifestyle format, Metro Corner, at Mandani Bay, Mandaue City, which offers a curated selection of essentials, artisan goods, and international specialties.

"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," Orense added, noting this optimism remains despite recent calamities that affected certain Metro stores in Bogo and other parts of Cebu in the Visayas region.