Dusseldorf, December 2019 - METRO AG continues to implement a strategy that positions the company as a provider of complete solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, independent entrepreneurs. At the recent annual press conference, the Board of Directors and employees presented the approach Wholesale 360 with which the company expanded its core activity in the financial year 2018/19, and with which it plans to continue to develop further.
Through the concept Wholesale 360, METRO accesses untapped sales potential within its core customer groups, which include HoReCa (hotels, restaurants and catering companies) and Trgovci (independent food stores). Within Wholesale 360, METRO offers a wide range of products, advisory services, digital solutions and tools, tests the provision of financial services and through strategic partnerships provides customers with equipment support. In this way, the company strives to position itself as the first choice of professional customers and to stand out from other wholesalers. METRO greatly combines its extensive network of wholesale facilities with goods delivery service and digital services.
"We want to help our professional customers manage their day-to-day business activities more efficiently", says Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board of METRO AG. "Take, for example, the hospitality industry in Germany: the biggest challenges facing HoReCa owners are difficulties in finding workers, rising business and labor costs, as well as increased legal obligations. Under the umbrella of Wholesale 360, we are gradually expanding the portfolio of sustainable solutions that offer our customers additional economic value, and we collaborate with them to improve their operational procedures. An added benefit for our customers is that they can get everything they need in one place - from a brand they trust."
One of the goals Wholesale 360 is to strengthen the competitiveness of METRO customers - not only to make them more successful, but also to strengthen their long-term relationship with their customers and gain a larger market share. In order to achieve this goal, METRO also enters into partnerships with other service providers. "Restaurant owners spend about a third of their budget on goods: food, cleaning products and equipment," says Olaf Koch. "In other words, two-thirds of their expenses are in areas that are currently not part of METRO's core business." For us, this means that we need to find a way to support our customers in those other areas as well. This approach is what we call Wholesale 360. "
Wholesale 360 consists of 6 thematic areas:
Products
METRO's key competence is providing fresh, high-quality food, adapted to local needs. National companies continuously develop their product range to fulfill this task. Already, 78% of METRO's sales come from customers who shop with us regularly.
Advisory services
The challenges customers face are becoming increasingly complex and require individual advice. That's why METRO invests in the consulting skills of around 6.500 of its sales managers in all countries, including those within the Trade Franchise model (in Serbia, the program is implemented under the name Moja Radnja). Within this model, METRO acts in a manner similar to a franchisor with its own brand identity. In addition to providing products to independent grocers, it also offers them additional services, such as training courses and assortment advice. METRO already has 7.460 franchise partners.
Digital tools
METRO Hospitality Digital gives customers from the hospitality industry access to digital solutions and innovative applications. Services include a free site, online booking tool and efficient staff management systems. In addition, customers have access to applications designed to optimize their business, such as MenuKit for automatic calculation of cost of goods sold. Our METRONOM, develops internal IT solutions and user interfaces, such as METRO Companion shopping apps, with which customers can create digital shopping lists, search for stores, check stock availability and scan barcodes. The app also replaces the METRO card in most countries.
B2B Market
METRO Markets is an online B2B marketplace developed specifically for the wholesale industry. The platform offers a wide range of non-food products adapted to the hospitality sector. METRO MARKETS it was launched in Germany in September 2019, and after the pilot phase it will be introduced in other countries. METRO uses the platform to sell its own products, but also collaborates with trading partners, allowing HoReCa professionals from around the world to benefit from the METRO brand and its reach as a global wholesale company. After only two months, around 87.000 non-food items were already on offer in the market, in cooperation with 110 partners.
Financial services
Financial constraints are not uncommon in the hospitality industry. It may happen that an expensive piece of kitchen equipment breaks down and needs to be replaced, or there is a need to invest in the business. Self-employed business owners often find it difficult to get credit. In order to provide support to restaurant owners in this area as well - in order to ensure financial stability and liquidity - METRO is testing financial services adapted to the needs of its customers. For example, since the beginning of 2019, METRO Austria has been cooperating with the Austrian bank BAWAG PSK to offer various services, including Express-Financing, an express financing loan that is applied entirely online. The answer, on average, arrives within 24 hours, and the loan amount is paid the next day.
Catering equipment
Modern catering equipment contributes to increased productivity and saves costs, while ensuring high quality of products and services. Strategic partnerships enable integrated solutions, including coordinated solutions for food and technology, on special attractive terms. In July 2019, METRO entered into cooperation with PENTAGAST, the largest German association of suppliers of gastronomic and kitchen equipment. The aim is to offer restaurant owners a one-stop solution tailored to them, and to combine two industry competencies in food and technology – including advice on food-related services and after-sales services.
Source: press release
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