METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan opens first wholesale center in Islamabad

Islamabad, 3 April, 2008 – Today, METRO Cash & Carry, the international leader in self-service wholesale, opened its first outlet in Islamabad in Sector I-11/4, near the Railway Carriage Factory. The company exclusively caters for professional customers like hotels, restaurants and small retailers like Kiryana stores. The assortment and services are tailored to the special needs of this target group. Islamabad is METRO Cash & Carry’s second wholesale center in Pakistan.

“With a population of over 170 million people and eight cities with more than a million residents, Pakistan is a very attractive and important market for our company”, said Frans Muller, CEO of METRO Cash & Carry International. “We see a huge potential for the expansion of our business-to-business wholesale concept in this country. Along with expansion, we also aim to contribute to the dynamic economic development of Pakistan.” If all pre-conditions like the allocation of real estate are met, METRO Cash & Carry sees a potential to open up to ten wholesale centers in mid-term in Pakistan. On average, the capital investment for a new METRO Cash & Carry outlet is 20 million Euros.

Islamabad is METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan’s second location after Lahore where the country’s first wholesale center opened in October 2007. The new METRO Cash & Carry wholesale center in Islamabad features more than 10,000 square meters of selling space and offers a comprehensive product range of more than 20,000 food and non-food articles. The focus on local suppliers, which is typical for METRO Cash & Carry, is also pursued in Pakistan. Around 80 percent of the goods on display originate from Pakistani producers and distributors. Each METRO Cash & Carry wholesale center employs 300 people from the local community. Moreover, 200 people are working at the company’s country headquarters in Lahore.

METRO Cash & Carry wholesale centers are open exclusively for professional customers, all of them duly registered and provided with a customer card. This means that the company does not sell to private end consumers. The core target group comprises hotels, restaurants, caterers as well as Kiryana stores and other small retailers. At METRO Cash & Carry‘s wholesale centers they can find everything they need to run their business under one roof. Moreover, the company offers a constant availability of highest quality products at competitive wholesale prices. For instance Kiryana stores can use METRO Cash & Carry as their warehouse and utilize their free capital for their businesses, rather than lock it up in inventory. The company’s unique business-to-business concept also caters to the professional work schedule with extended opening hours of up to 15 hours a day.

“By this means we clearly help our professional customers to increase their competitiveness and thereby strengthen their own business”, said James Scott, Regional Operating Officer Asia, METRO Cash & Carry International.

Contrary to the traditional delivery wholesale, METRO Cash & Carry’s customers select their merchandize at the wholesale center in the quantities they need, pay in cash and transport their purchase back to their businesses by themselves. Products of any type are offered on a permanent basis and in large quantities.

Sharing knowledge, assuming responsibility

METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan lives up to its responsibilities to society – not only as a reliable taxpayer and employer, but also as a pioneer in supporting local suppliers. In developing its own business, the company contributes to the country’s progress. METRO Cash & Carry supports the development of modern trade infrastructures along the entire supply chain. It helps build direct supply sources, reduce waste and supports farmers in getting better prices for their produce while at the same time providing better quality products to its professional customers. The company is for example planning to cooperate with the German Investment and Development Company (DEG) on a program to support farmers and fishermen. Participants will learn how to improve quality, increase yield and upgrade logistics. The training programs strengthen the competitive position of local producers and enable them to enter new export markets. As a pilot project, METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan has already implemented training for 50 fish farmers in Punjab.

METRO Cash & Carry is represented in 29 countries with over 600 self-service wholesale centers. With more than 100,000 employees worldwide, the company achieved sales of € 31.7 billion in 2007. METRO Cash & Carry is a sales division of the METRO Group, one of the most important international trading companies. In 2007 the group reached sales of about € 64 billion. The company has a headcount of some 280.000 employees and operates over 2,200 outlets in 31 countries. The operating business is performed by the sales brands which operate independently in the market: Metro/Makro Cash & Carry – world market leader in cash & carry wholesale, Real hypermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn – market leader in consumer electronics centers in Europe, and Galeria Kaufhof department stores. More information at: www.metrogroup.de.

Contact:

Silal B. Shafqat         
Public Relations Manager

METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd
Thokar Niaz Beg, Multan Road
Lahore 53700
Pakistan
Phone:   +92 (0) 42 7509636
Fax:       +92 (0) 42 7508112
Mobile:   +92 (0) 322 4003745
silal.shafqat@metro.pk

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