Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI) prepares for a busy ending to 2026. The company is planning to open more stores in the coming months to take advantage of the extra shopping during the “ber” months, the September to December stretch when Filipinos usually spend more for the holidays.
This was the plan, said RRHI president and CEO Stanley Co in an interview with The STAR. The company expects to finish the year with a bigger store network, he said. “Openings of stores at RRHI tend to pile up in the second half of the year and this year is no different,” he said.
Co said the retailer has a healthy pipeline of stores to open. The emphasis is on store brands which have a regular demand and still can grow as they have few branches in many areas. Grocery stores and drugstores are the leaders of this group, because people need food and medicine in good times and bad.
The business is already large in scale. The Gokongwei-owned retailer has over 2,700 stores under its various brands, including over 2,100 franchised TGP stores. RRHI plans to spend P5 billion to P7 billion for capital expenditures in 2026 to fund its growth and Co said the company is on track with that plan.
One of the latest is in Panglao, Bohol, a popular destination for tourists and beach lovers. The island town recently launched the first Robinsons Supermarket store, the group’s key supermarket brand. At the same time, a new Rose Pharmacy outlet opened. With the Panglao store, Rose Pharmacy now has nine stores in Bohol, and is the largest drugstore chain in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Co said RRHI also is investing in projects that support its long-term goals, in addition to the new stores. The company is optimistic about its food and drugstore businesses because shoppers continue to buy essentials, he said. But it still believes in its discretionary formats, or stores that sell things people want but don’t buy every day. RRHI continues to invest in making these stores more valuable for its customers.”
The company is also open to business. RRHI always is exploring merger and acquisition opportunities and other avenues for growth and always putting the customer first in every decision, Co said. As people’s needs and shopping habits change, RRHI will welcome any chance that helps it serve them better, he said. From time to time, it also reviews its portfolio of brands to ensure each one remains relevant and aligned with market trends.
RRHI has a large portfolio of brands. Among them are Uncle John’s, Shopwise, The Marketplace, Handyman, True Value, Daiso Japan, TGP, Southstar Drug, Rose Pharmacy and Toys “R” Us. The group also operates Robinsons Supermarket, Easymart and Robinsons Department Store.
In other news, RRHI had earlier filed for voluntary delisting from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). The shares of the company were delisted from the official list of the PSE effective Aug. 31, meaning the stock of the company is no longer traded in the exchange.
