METRO strengthens its presence in Karnataka; increases store count to 31 nationally
National, 8th April, 2021: METRO Cash & Carry, India’s largest organized wholesaler and food specialist today launched its first ‘METRO Wholesale’ Distribution Center (store) at Hubballi. The new store, which is the company’s 31st wholesale store in India, was inaugurated by Shri Arvind Bellard, MLA, Hubli-Dharwad constituency along with Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD & CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India; and in the presence of Shri Nitish Patil, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate, Dharwad, Dr Gopal Krishna, Commissioner, Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation, and key supplier partners from the city. METRO India has expanded its operation to north Karnataka with Hubballi, the company’s eighth store in the state after six operational stores in Bengaluru and one in Tumakuru.
Spread over 34,000 sq.ft., the Hubballi store is strategically located at Navanagar Road and is a one stop destination for the daily needs of business customers in the city. The store, initially catering to over 35000 registered business customers, will fulfill the business requirements of kiranas and traders; Hotels, Restaurants & Caterers (HoReCa); Services, Companies and Offices (SCOs) and self-employed professionals. Apart from Hubballi, the store will cater to customers from Hubli-Dharwad and neighboring districts and talukas like Gadag, Haveri, Nargund, Navalgund, Kalgathagi, Davangere amongst others.
The new store offers METRO’s promise of 5 star quality, wholesale price and everything under one roof, and stocks a wide array of globally benchmarked quality assortment of over 8000 products in both food and non-food category. The store will help generate close to 500 direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local and state economy. The store is also integrated with METRO’s B2B e-commerce app- ‘METRO Wholesale’ App for traders and kiranas and will offer them the convenience of browsing and ordering online, and getting their stocks delivered at their doorstep through GPS enabled trucks.
Speaking about METRO’s commitment towards sustainable expansion in India, Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD and CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India said, “We are delighted to expand our operations north of Karnataka with our eighth store in the state and bring the METRO Wholesale experience to the culturally rich city of Hubballi. As Champion for Independent Business, we are committed to empower the small businesses and MSMEs in Hubballi by providing a robust distribution network as well as boost the local supplier eco-system. As we expand our footprint in the state, we are enabling employment opportunities for over 500 youth in various operations, directly and indirectly, which will provide a huge impetus to the local economy.
He further added, “With the opening of our 31st store in the country, we are bullish on our India expansion; we will continue to add more stores; create more job opportunities; upskill the local talent; strengthen the indigenous sourcing and implement METRO’s globally benchmarked quality and best practices to fulfil the larger vision of AatmaNirbhar Bharat.”
As Champion for Independent Business, METRO has always been committed to support the local business eco-system; 99% of products METRO sells are all locally sourced from MSMEs & local suppliers. The Hubballi store also provides a robust platform to several indigenous regional brands such as MWB Commodities, SVT oil range, Vaishnavi Rice, SVRM Rice amongst others to cater to the local consumption needs. Apart from range of fresh fruits & vegetables, the store has 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 customers. The store houses hotel and restaurant supplies, office supplies along with multitude of products in the non-food segment such as electronics, apparels, textiles, households, stationary, home improvements, footwear, luggage etc. Apart from a diverse product range, METRO Wholesale members will receive expertise and assistance from METRO’s commodity experts and access to a loyalty program designed to make their buying experience more seamless and affordable.
METRO has been at the forefront of enriching independent businesses and empowering the Kirana ecosystem through its Smart Kirana program. A first of its kind initiative, the program helps traditional mom and pop stores to transform with modernization and digitalization solutions to compete in the modern retail landscape. METRO is leading the way in kirana digitization and has so far helped modernize operations of over 2000 kiranas across the country.
METRO follows 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 COVID-19 vaccine at its Hubballi store.
METRO Cash & Carry anchors over 3 million customer base in India. Today, the company operates 31 wholesale distribution centres, catering to over 5000 suppliers, and has created over 15500 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 thirty one 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, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Lucknow, Meerut, Nasik, Ghaziabad, Tumakuru, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur and Hubballi. For more details, log on to www.METRO.co.in
