Metro continues to reposition

“As of 2004, when international hypermarket and supermarket operators came onto the market or expanded, the market became segmented, and it was necessary for our cash&carry store concept to be reoriented to specialized clients, entrepreneurs,” said Francois Oliver, General Manager of Metro Cash&Carry Romania&Moldova.

Metro is investing in remodelling its stores and reorganizing the products portfolio, to meet demands efficiently.

"We are not competing with hypermarkets and supermarkets. Each retail chain is specialized on a certain market segment", Oliver added.

Francois Oliver ran Carrefour Romania’s operations from 2001 to 2006, at which time he took over the management of Metro Romania.

The German Metro group was the first international retailer on the Romanian market, and has opened 23 cash&carry stores and 14 Real hypermarkets since 1996.

Metro plans to invest €24 million in 2008 to continue the expansion and remodelling of four of its cash&carry stores, a process started in 2006 in stores in Timisoara, Brasov and Bucharest.

Revenues in Romania in 2006 exceeded €1.5 billion. The German group is one of the world leaders in retail, with sales worth €60 bln in 2006. It has 2,400 stores in 30 countries.