The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Metro's net third quarter earnings fell to $211.3-million or $1 a share on a diluted basis compared with $323-million or $1.48 a share in the same quarter last year. The Globe's Susan Krashinsky Robertson writes that lost sales and costs from a protracted strike amounted to 32 cents a share after taxes. Metro's sales grew to nearly $7-billion in the quarter ended July 4, up 1.4 per cent compared with the same period last year. But same-store sales fell by 1.5 per cent at Metro's grocery stores as the strike led to lower customer traffic. Four weeks into its fourth quarter, Metro has seen same-store sales remain negative. Without a clear timeline for resolving the conflict, Metro expects a significant impact on fourth quarter results. Wednesday was the final earnings call for Mr. La Fleche as chief executive officer after 18 years leading the company. Metro previously announced that he would retire at the end of September, but would stay on as chairman of the board of directors. Current chief operating officer Marc Giroux will take over as CEO. On Wednesday, Metro also announced a restructuring of its Ontario store network and ecommerce distribution system.