METRO Cash & Carry India opens its 29th ‘METRO Wholesale’ store in India at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

 

METRO Cash & Carry India opens its 29th ‘METRO Wholesale’ store in India at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh  

·        Visakhapatnam is METRO’s second store in the state of Andhra Pradesh after Vijayawada

·        Store located at Madhurawada region will generate close to 500 direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local economy

·        100% of METRO’s employees at Visakhapatnam store have been vaccinated with first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

·        New store integrated with METRO’s ecommerce app to offer a convenient shopping experience for traders and kiranas in and around the city of  Visakhapatnam

·        Being ‘Vocal for Local’, 99% of products that METRO sells at its stores are ‘Made in India’

 

21^st July, 2021: METRO Cash & Carry, India’s largest organized wholesaler and food specialist today launched its first ‘METRO Wholesale’ Distribution Center (store) at the port city of Visakhapatnam. The new store, which is its 29th METRO wholesale store in India, was inaugurated by Smt. Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari, Mayor of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, along with Arvind Mediratta MD & CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India in the presence of government officials, local dignitaries, key supplier partners and senior METRO leadership team in India. The new store is the second METRO Wholesale in the state of Andhra Pradesh after Vijaywada.

 

METRO has implemented a stringent 30 step safety measure at the store as part of its commitment towards providing a safe and hygienic environment for employees and customers. 100% of METRO’s in-store staff including direct employees, promoters, housekeeping, security staff, and drivers have been vaccinated with first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at its Visakhapatnam store.

Spread over 50000 sq.ft., the Visakhapatnam store is strategically located at Paradesipalam village, Madhurawada highway, and stocks a wide range of globally benchmarked quality assortment of over 7500 products in both food and non-food category. The new store will help generate close to 500 direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local and state economy. The store is integrated with METRO’s B2B e-commerce app for traders and will offer the kirana customers the convenience of ordering online from METRO store and get stocks delivered at their doorstep through GPS enabled trucks. The new store offers METRO’s promise of- 5 star quality, wholesale price and everything under one roof.

The store will initially cater to over 50,000 registered business customer which includes kiranas and traders; Hotels, Restaurants & Caterers (HoReCa); Services, Companies and Offices (SCOs) and self-employed professionals. Apart from Madhurawada district, the store will benefit business customers from neighboring regions such as Sallur, Parwathipuram, Boballi, Gajapathi Nagaram, S Kota, Aruku, Garwidi, Chepurapalli, Srtikakulam town, Amudalavalsa, Rajam, Palakonda, Narsanapeta, Tekalli, Palasa, Sompeta amongst others.

Reiterating METRO’s commitment to towards sustainable growth in India, Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD and CEO said, “Andhra Pradesh is a priority market for us; as we increase our footprint in the state, we will positively contribute towards the state’s development by creating newer employment opportunities, upskilling local talent, strengthening local sourcing, and implementing METRO’s globally benchmarked quality and best practices to help the local economy grow. We are launching our store amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and we stay committed to our store format and to our mission of sustainable and profitable expansion in India. We will continue investing to add more stores in the state, provide diverse product assortment and offer innovative digital solutions for an enhanced omni-channel experience for our customers.

He further added, “As Champion for Independent Business, we have always been vocal about empowering the independent businesses, small traders and kiranas in India. Through our Smart Kirana program, we have helped over 2000 traditional kiranas transform with modernization and digitalization solutions to compete in the modern retail landscape. As an organisation, we are focused on transforming from a multi-specialist offline player to a B2B Omni-channel player focused on kiranas.”

As part of our Smart Kirana programme, two kirana stores in Visakhapatnam- SKML Best Price (550 ft) and Anu General Stores (1500 ft) have already been remodelled from a traditional shop into a modern open format store. Apart from modernizing the layout, the store has been upgraded with digital solutions and the owners have been educated about planogram, inventory management and quality management to help them garner more footfall and profitability for their business.

Being ‘Champion for Independent Business’, METRO has always supported the local business eco-system; 99% of products METRO sells are all locally sourced from MSMEs & local suppliers. The Visakhapatnam store also providing a robust platform to several indigenous regional brands such as Harmony Range (Atta, Besan, maida), Amul Rice, Priya Range of oils, Fresh Choice (Breads and Sweet Roll range of articles), Swastiks Blended spices range and Visakha Ghee amongst others, to cater to the local consumption needs.  The store also has 200 plus varieties of rice, pulses, flours, spices, oil & grains, dry fruits and array of other commodities. The store will also offer a variety of METRO’s Own brand products that are competitively priced to provide value proposition to our customers. In addition, the store will house multitude of products in the non-food segment such as electronics, apparels, textiles, households, stationary, home improvements, footwear, luggage etc. Apart from the wide array of products, customers will receive expertise and assistance from METRO’s commodity experts and access to a loyalty program designed to make their buying experience more convenient and affordable.

METRO Cash & Carry anchors over 3 million customer base in India. Today, the company operates 29 wholesale distribution centres, catering to over 5000 suppliers, and has created over 14500 direct and indirect jobs across the country. To become a METRO Wholesale member register with a valid business license and photo ID proof copy by calling on 1860-266-2010 or log on to www.metro.co.in   

About METRO Cash & Carry:

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specializes in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 16 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO’s business. The company operates in 34 countries and employs more than 97,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2019/20, METRO generated sales of €25.6 billion. 

METRO Cash & Carry entered the Indian market in 2003. The company currently operates twenty-nine wholesale distribution centres under the brand METRO Wholesale including six in Bangalore, four in Hyderabad, two each in Mumbai and Delhi, and one each in Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Zirakpur, Amritsar, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Lucknow, Meerut, Nasik, Ghaziabad, Tumakuru, Viskhapatnam. 

For further information, log on to www.METRO.co.in   

For further information, write to press@metro.co.in