Gokongwei-led Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. is seeing a recovery as its customers are now making bigger purchases at their wide array of stores that includes supermarkets, appliances, pharmaceuticals, and fashion/apparel.

“This year is off to a strong start, with the ongoing recovery in basket sizes continuing to drive revenue growth,” said RRHI President and CEO Stanley Co in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

He added that, “To sustain this momentum, we will further optimize our assortment, accelerate store expansion, and unlock greater operational efficiencies.”

RRHI reported a 4.9 percent improvement in core earnings for the first quarter of 2025 to ₱1.2 billion as the growth in operating income was complemented by lower interest expenses.

Consolidated net sales climbed 4.2 [ercent to ₱47.8 billion, underpinned by strong results from the Food, Drugstore, and Department Store segments.

Revenues were also supported by new store sales and additional operating days following the shift in the Holy Week holidays to April this year from March in 2024. These factors helped offset the impact of fewer selling days in February, as 2024 was a leap year.

Blended same store sales growth for the quarter stood at 3.0 percent, well within RRHI’s full-year guidance of two to four percent growth.

Gross profit grew faster than revenues at 6.2 percent to ₱11.6 billion as a result of better category mix, continued supplier support, and improved inventory management. 

Meanwhile, operating income saw modest growth of 2.7 percent to ₱1.9 billion due to the uptick in manpower expenses given the full quarter impact of wage hikes last year and one-time costs related to the enhancements in our employee benefits program.

Attributable net income fell 85.0 percent to ₱760 million due to the one-time gain from the merger of the Bank of the Philippine Islands and Robinsons Bank booked early last year.

Capital expenditures for the first quarter amounted to ₱962 million. 

“As we navigate the dynamic retail environment, we remain focused on creating long-term value for our stakeholders by strengthening our fundamentals and advancing our sustainability agendas,” said Co.

As of March 31, 2025, Robinsons Retail has 2,448 stores consisting of 760 Food Stores, 1,131 Drugstores, 50 Department Stores, 225 DIY Stores, and 282 Specialty Stores. The company also has 2,116 franchised stores of TGP (The Generics Pharmacy).