Upson International Corp. improved retail productivity in 2025 despite ending the year with fewer stores, as stronger same-store sales and higher margins offset a network rationalization strategy, company president and chief executive officer Arlene Louisa Sy said.
In her report to shareholders, Sy said that Upson opened 14 new branches and closed 19 during the year, ending 2025 with 240 stores, or five fewer than in 2024. Even with a leaner footprint, sales rose 6.3 percent while gross profit margin improved to 21.48 percent from 20.97 percent previously, reflecting stronger operating efficiency and a healthier sales mix.
The company also expanded total floor space by 2.1 percent, while average sales per store climbed 8.5 percent. Sales per square meter increased 4.1 percent, and same-store sales growth reached 6.1 percent, indicating improved customer traffic and spending across existing branches.
She said the company made significant inventory purchases toward the end of 2025 to safeguard product availability amid possible supply constraints and anticipated supplier price increases. The move, while raising inventory levels, was aimed at protecting margins and ensuring a stable product supply in a still-volatile global electronics market.
Sy said newly opened stores are expected to contribute more substantially to earnings over time as branches mature and absorb initial investment and operating costs. Management expects these stores to provide stronger earnings support in the near term as sales ramp up.
