Metro Group: opens first wholesale center in Pakistan

Duesseldorf / DE. (mg) This week Metro Group opens its first Metro Cash + Carry wholesale center in the Pakistan metropolis Lahore. Thus, the company is now represented in a total of 31 countries – with Metro Cash + Carry alone running operations in 29 countries.

With the opening of the first wholesale center in Pakistan, Metro Group is consistently pursuing its successful expansion strategy and is today the most international retail and wholesale company in the world. Pakistan experienced a positive economical development in the last years and offers great potential as well as good growth perspectives for the self-service wholesale concept of Metro Cash + Carry. Moreover, the company is making a positive contribution to the further development of the local economy.

The assortment, service and architecture of the Metro Cash + Carry wholesale center in Lahore have been tailored to the specific needs of commercial customers in Pakistan. These include in particular hotels, restaurants, caters as well as small and medium-sized retailers. More than 20.000 articles from the food and nonfood sector are available in the new Metro Cash + Carry wholesale center with its selling space of more than 10.000 square meters. 80 percent of these articles are sourced in Pakistan. The focus on suppliers from the respective country forms an integral element of the international success story of Metro Cash + Carry.

The Metro Cash + Carry wholesale center in Lahore employs 300 people and another 200 are working at the company´s Pakistan headquarters located on the Lahore premises. The investment for the first Metro Cash + Carry wholesale center in Lahore was around 15 million Euro. As early as in December, the second Metro Cash + Carry location will open its gates in Islamabad. If all necessary preconditions – in particular securing adequate real estate – are fulfilled, Metro Cash + Carry sees a potential for opening up to ten wholesale centers across Pakistan in the medium term.

About: Metro Group is one of the most important international retailing companies. In 2006 the group reached sales of about 60 billion Euro. The company has a headcount of some 270.000 employees and operates about 2.400 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 and Extra supermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn – market leader in consumer electronics centers in Europe, and Galeria Kaufhof department stores.