METRO Cash & Carry opens first wholesale store in Ivanovo

Ivanovo, September 17, 2008 – Today, METRO Cash & Carry, the international leader in self-service wholesale, opened its first store in Ivanovo. On a total sales floor of about 6,500 square meters the company exclusively caters for professional customers like hotels, restaurants as well as small and medium sized retailers. The METRO Cash & Carry Management Board as well as authorities from the Ivanovo region and the city of Ivanovo took part in the opening ceremony.

“The Ivanovo region is characterized by a rapidly growing economy, a highly developed infrastructure as well as a huge potential for the trade business,” said Akin Bayer, Managing Director of METRO Cash & Carry Russia. “We are convinced that our investment in the first METRO Cash & Carry store in Ivanovo will have a positive impact on the future development of the city and the region as a whole.”

By expanding its presence in the Central Federal District, the self-service wholesaler is continuing its successful strategy based on a close cooperation with local agricultural producers and suppliers. Major share of the goods on the shelves will be procured locally, several partners from the local consumer goods industry will gain the opportunity to sell their products on regional, national or even international level. This gives a significant boost to the local economy. Moreover, METRO Cash & Carry creates 250 new jobs in Ivanovo and is considering getting involved in several CSR projects within the city.

“Our presence in Ivanovo means an additional investment into the economy of the city and will enhance the development of small and medium sized enterprises”, said Akin Bayer. “We provide our professional customers with services and assortments tailored to their special requirements.” The new METRO Cash & Carry outlet offers its professional customers everything they need under one roof. The high quality assortment comprises a wide variety of 25,000 food and non-food products, sold at favorable wholesale prices. By this means, the company helps its customers to render their buying process more efficiently and to save money as well as time.

Main characteristics of the Ivanovo store:

• Investment – on average a new METRO Cash & Carry store is an investment of about € 20 million;
• Gross floor area – 10,500 m
• Sales area – 6,500 m
• 300 parking places
• Assortment (food and nonfood) – 25 000 articles;
• 250 new jobs
  

Company information:

METRO Cash & Carry is represented in 29 countries with more than 600 self-service wholesale stores. With about 100,000 employees worldwide, the company achieved sales of about € 30 billion in 2006. METRO Cash & Carry is a sales division of the METRO Group, one of the most important international retailing and trading companies. In 2006, the group reached sales of about € 60 billion. The company has a headcount of some 257,000 employees and operates about 2,400 outlets in 30 countries. The operating business is performed by the sales brands which operate independently in the market: Metro/Makro Cash & Carry, Real hypermarkets and Extra supermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn – market leader in consumer electronics centers in Europe, and Galeria Kaufhof department stores. More information at: www.metrogroup.de.

Contacts:
Oksana Tokareva
Head of Government and Public Relations Department
METRO Cash & Carry, Russia
Tel. +7 495 502 12 03
E-mail: Oksana.Tokareva@metro.com.ru