Metro Inc, Canada's third largest grocer, reported a nearly 14 percent rise in quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by higher sales and more effective cost controls.
The results benefited from contributions from Marche Adonis, a Mediterrean food retailer, and its distributor Phoenicia Products, in which Metro bought a 55 percent stake last October.
Metro and its competitors Loblaw Cos Ltd and Empire Co Ltd's Sobeys are facing rising competition as Wal-Mart Stores Inc expands its grocery offerings in Canada.
RBC Capital Markets retail analyst Irene Nattel said cautious consumer spending is holding back results across the stocks she covers this quarter.
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