Press Kit Overview on METRO – Country by Country Contact: [email protected] September 2017 Content METRO Austria 3 METRO/ MAKRO Belgium 4 METRO Bulgaria 5 METRO China 6 METRO Croatia 7 MAKRO Czech Republic 8 METRO France 9 METRO Germany 10 METRO Hungary 11 METRO India 12 METRO Italy 13 METRO Japan 14 METRO Kazakhstan 15 METRO Moldova 16 MAKRO Netherlands 17 METRO Pakistan 18 MAKRO Poland 19 MAKRO Portugal 20 METRO Romania 21 METRO Russia 22 METRO Serbia 23 METRO Slovakia 24 MAKRO Spain 25 METRO Turkey 26 METRO Ukraine 27 METRO Austria Profile METRO Austria Start of operations: 1971 Headquarters: Vösendorf Wholesale centres: 12 Employees (September 2016): 1,915 Sales (FY 2015/16): 791m EUR Zero-energy store concept Sustainability is an integral part of our corporate strategy. This is why METRO Austria is committed to future-oriented energy efficiency. In St. Pölten, not far from Vienna in Lower Austria, a zero-energy wholesale store is currently being built which is fully committed to the idea of sustainability and sets new standards in wholesale. All building materials have been selected according to ecological standards, the building itself is built in timber construction. Windows, which lead around the entire store, provide for significantly more daylight and thus reduce the energy consumption for illumination. Energy is mainly supplied via a photovoltaic system on the roof. The first cut of the spade in St. Pölten was in September 2016. In total, the store will have about 8,500 square meters of sales space. Focus on regional assortment METRO Austria attaches great importance to applying high quality standards, sustainability and regionality. When it comes to the sourcing of meat for example, METRO Austria looks for Austrian producers and their products that are produced or cultivated in the same state or up to 100 km away from the respective METRO wholesale store. For example, thanks to the cooperation with the Upper Austrian Chamber of Agriculture and some 150 farmers, the so-called "Voralpenlandschwein" (Pre-Alps pig), which is subject to a strict quality regime, is exclusively offered in the METRO stores in Linz and Wels. Eco-friendly logistics Eco-friendly logistics, the mainstay of METRO Austria’s sustainability approach, set us apart from our competitors. For example, we are breaking new ground in Vienna with our METRO Express service, which delivers ultra-fresh products using emission-free electric vehicles. What’s more, delivery is guaranteed within three hours. 2 million people, about a quarter of the Austrian population, can be reached with this service. Additional metropolitan regions within the country are set to follow. When it comes to thinking and acting in an eco-friendly manner, however, we don’t just do so on a small scale, but also on a large one: With our partner MAN, we will soon be deploying one of the first e-trucks in the greater Vienna area, and in the process further reduce CO2 emissions. 3 MAKRO/METRO Belgium Profile MAKRO/METRO Belgium Start of operations: 1970 Headquarters: Wommelgem Wholesale centres: 16 Employees (September 2016): 2,601 Sales (FY 2015/16): 961m EUR METRO Sprint Service Our professional customers often have busy schedules, while shopping can be time consuming. However, online shopping is no solution for our customers, either, as they want to select the goods on the spot as getting the best quality is of utmost importance to them. It is for these customers that METRO Belgium offers the METRO SPRINT SERVICE. It allows our customers to select the goods, pay for them in the store, and then get them delivered to their restaurants or shops within a few hours only. Innovative Clam Sale Summertime is mussel time in Belgium. The warmer it gets, the more the sales of the national dish increase. However, mussels are not easy to store, shortage is always close, especially during weekends. What to do when sales went well on a Saturday and more clams are needed on Sunday? METRO Belgium provides its customers with a simple and easy solution: mussel trucks. Our customers get the keys to the trucks and pick up additional mussels on Sundays. As our relationship to our customers is based on trust, they only need to inform us about the amount they took – the bill is settled later. Inspiration for Chefs Developing our professional customers is a major purpose of METRO Belgium – and an approach to sustain our business. One way to achieve this is through our CHEF magazine, which shall serve as an inspiration for our customers to get the most out of their kitchen every day. The magazine is being released four times a year with a seasonal focus and a wide variety of information necessary for driving the success of our customers. 4 METRO Bulgaria Profile METRO Bulgaria Start of operations: 1999 Headquarters: Sofia Wholesale centres: 11 Employees (September 2016): 2,235 Sales (FY 2015/16): 369m EUR Close support for HoReCa and trade customers With the innovative “Trader Support & Partnership Program”, METRO Bulgaria helps small traders to improve their business since 2011. We share our knowledge of product selection, shopping space design, and staff education to create a competitive advantage for retailers and satisfied customers. Furthermore, METRO Bulgaria has set up the “Metro Academy” for HoReCa customers, a professional cooking school centre, which includes trainings, research and development, showrooms, and gastro events. Fruit & Vegetable Project METRO strongly believes in local products and short supply chains. As part of the Fruits & Vegetable Project launched in June 2017 in Bulgaria, we cooperate with 120 agricultural producers from all across the country. Currently METRO Bulgaria offers 100 different locally produced fruits and vegetables from apples to zucchinis. The project allows local farmers to generate a steady income and increase the quality and safety of their food products – and at the same time helps to promote awareness among customers for Bulgarian products and facilitates stable and sustainable relations to METRO Bulgaria’s suppliers. Cooperation with the best chefs METRO Bulgaria closely cooperates with the Bulgarian Professional Chefs’ Association, bringing together food professionals and engaging in the further development of the HoReCa sector in Bulgaria. Among the events regularly supported by METRO Bulgaria are the Culinary Cup and the GastronomiX, during which the Bulgarian qualification for the Bocuse d’Or finals takes places. The cooperation with the Professional Chefs’ Association allows METRO Bulgaria to support and connect with a wide range of chefs from all over the country. 5 METRO China Profile METRO China Start of operations: 1996 Headquarters: Shanghai Wholesale centres: 89 Employees (September 2016): 12,137 Sales (FY 2015/16): 2,669m EUR Increasing Food Safety and Supporting Local Producers METRO China attaches great importance to the food safety throughout the supply chain. This is supported by a traceability system which enables us to monitor every step along the value chain and gives our customers confidence in our products. In addition, Star Farm which was initiated by METRO China in 2007 helps local farmers and food producers to improve production, processing and logistics management. As a result, producers achieve a better quality, while increasing output and decreasing cost as well as spoilage. This leads to higher incomes for the local producers and reasonable prices for the customers. Growing together with China METRO China was among the first wholesale companies to gain permission from the Chinese Central Government to set up chain operations in all major cities in China. The company now operates 89 stores already in 59 Chinese cities and is now serving more than 4 million professional customers across the country. With a strong confidence and longstanding commitment to the market, METRO will continue to invest and grow in China in the coming years. The company is exploring multi-channels in China to offer customers convenient access to its high quality products particularly the imported goods through delivery, online and via popular Social Media tool WeChat. In September 2015, METRO opened an online shop on Alibaba’s Tmall platform to sell carefully selected imported products to the Chinese consumers. Green stores and environmental protection endeavour The METRO store in Dongguan opened in 2016 is the very first Green Store in China’s retail and wholesale industry built in complete compliance with 3-Star Green Building Label and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard. After the renovation, it is estimated that the annual energy consumption in the Green Store will be reduced by as much as 50%. The 2nd Green Store opened in August 2017 in Jinan. Since entering China’s market in 1996, METRO has not only focused on its own business development, but also actively fulfilled corporate social responsibilities by implementing energy conservation and environmental protection throughout its business operations. In 2013, METRO initiated an energy-saving program and planned to invest continuously annually for regular equipment renovation and efficiency improvements. In 2014, METRO opened its first store using CO2 Cascade refrigeration system in Weifang, China, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in store operations. In 2015, METRO China officially launched the PV Project at its Shanghai Putuo Store which was expected generate about 20% of total electricity consumption of the store. 6 METRO Croatia Profile METRO Croatia Start of operations: 2001 Headquarters: Zagreb Wholesale centres: 9 Employees (September 2016): 1,077 Sales (FY 2015/16): 215m EUR Strong Growth in HoReCa sector Given the immense and growing touristic potential of Croatia, METRO Croatia puts a strong focus on HoReCa customers. METRO has recognized this development and offers its customers a vast selection of fresh fish and seafood. Successful collaborations with regional suppliers allow METRO Croatia to offer more than 120 different types of fresh fish and seafood, a range of more than 200 beers, and more than 600 different wines.