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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Stock Market devider Gaisano-backed retailer opens 83rd branch to tap regional demand

Gaisano-backed retailer opens 83rd branch to tap regional demand

Published Jun 3, 2026 09:03 am
Metro Naval, MRSGI’s new retail destination designed to serve communities across Biliran Province.
Metro Naval, MRSGI’s new retail destination designed to serve communities across Biliran Province.
Metro Retail Stores Group Inc.(MRSGI), the Gaisano-led retail chain, expanded its footprint in Eastern Visayas with the launch of a new multi-format branch in Biliran province, part of its strategy to capture consumer demand outside the country’s major urban centers.
The newly opened Metro Naval branch, located in the provincial capital of Naval, marks the company’s 83rd store nationwide and its 12th location in the Eastern Visayas region.
The facility integrates MRSGI’s supermarket, department store, and home lifestyle formats under a single roof, aiming to provide local residents with centralized access to consumer staples, apparel, and household goods.
The provincial expansion comes as domestic retailers increasingly target underserved areas outside Metro Manila, where rising regional incomes and secondary infrastructure developments are driving steady growth. Metro Retail, which is controlled by Cebu’s prominent Gaisano family through Vicsal Development Corp., has focused its recent capital deployment on building community-centered hubs across Luzon and the Visayas.
“Metro Naval represents our commitment to growing alongside the communities we serve,” Joel Orense, MRSGI president and chief operating officer, said.
He added that the company aims to ensure provincial households have access to modern retail options while generating local employment and commercial opportunities.
The Cebu-based retailer has been leveraging provincial demand to shore up its financial performance. Metro Retail reported a net income of ₱25.8 million for the first quarter, a 92.5 percent surge compared to the same period last year.
Consolidated net sales rose 5.4 percent year-on-year to ₱9.38 billion, sustained by a 2.9 percent growth in same-store sales. Food retail remained the company's primary revenue driver, posting a 6.3 percent increase, while general merchandise sales grew 2.5 percent.
MRSGI expects the Biliran branch to stimulate local commerce by integrating provincial vendors and suppliers into its corporate logistics network. Metro Retail operates its nationwide portfolio under various formats, including Metro Supermarket, Metro Department Store, Super Metro Hypermarket, Metro Value Mart, and Metro Home Improvement and Lifestyle. (James A. Loyola)

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Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. Joselito Orense
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