The Metro Cash & Carry brand is one of the largest retailers in the world. The history of this brand began with one store in Germany. Today, their hypermarket chain has thousands of points in every corner of the planet, 8 of its own product lines and several sub-brands. What is the secret to the success of this company?
A little about the brand "Metro"
The company was founded by Otto Beisheim in 1964 in Germany. In 1968, the Cash & Carry network first went outside the country. Two years later, the first Metro store was launched in the Netherlands, and then the company began to actively expand to other countries.
The modern history of the company began in 1996 after the merger of three large German holdings into one. At that time, the number of hypermarkets already totaled more than one hundred. Almost every European capital had at least one Metro chain store.
Gradually, the company began to build its centers in smaller cities. Now the Metro Group chain is represented by more than 2200 hypermarkets worldwide.
In Russia, Metro officially appeared on November 1, 2000, with the opening of the first hypermarket in Moscow. After the managers began to expand the network. Now Metro stores are in almost every city, the number of which exceeds 500 thousand people.
Features of a German franchise
The German attitude towards business is famous all over the world. They are always accurate, punctual, calculate everything to the last detail. This is what makes the Metro franchise third in popularity in Europe and fourth in the world.
The franchise from the Metro network guarantees a quick payback of all costs and a plus, since this brand has been known for a long time and has established itself in the best possible way.
The lump-sum (initial) installment and royalties for this franchise are extremely low. In addition, often this money is returned to the store in the form of bonuses and bonuses.
Another plus is that the concept of hypermarkets is designed for owners of various forms of business - the owners of cafes, restaurants, shops, hotels. Working with such a segment is much easier than with the end customer. They tend to make bulk purchases.
What is a Bean?
The franchise project of the Metro chain of hypermarkets in Russia bears the funny name Beans. It is a unique offer for potential owners of "convenience stores". The plus of such a franchise is the special prices for the purchase of the necessary trade and exhibition equipment and goods. But these are not the only positive aspects of the project:
- You don’t need to start a business from scratch, you don’t need to think over a plan, look for suppliers, work on a concept, calculate risks.
- The start of the project is quick. The system provides assistance in finding a rental space and developing the design of a retail space.
- Constant support from the franchisor, training, business consulting, assistance in solving difficulties.
Franchising program "Beans" - a fully framed working business idea. Today, more than 300 franchisees are working on it, which makes it one of the most popular in Russia.
Products under the brand name "Metro"
The company manufactures its products under several different brand names. Each of the sub-brands is designed for a different target audience and differs in price and even quality:
- METRO Chef;
- METRO Professional;
- METRO Premium;
- ARO;
- Fine life;
- Rioba;
- Sigma;
- Tarrington House.
The first three brands are designed for owners of large and luxury restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, hotels and hotels. Prices for such products are high, but their quality is impeccable.
ARO sub-brand can be called the most budget of all. Products manufactured under this brand are aimed at catering establishments from an inexpensive and middle segment and home use. They are in a lower quality category.
Fine Life brand is the golden mean. This brand has the perfect combination of price and quality. It is also more diverse in assortment. Fine Life products are also suitable for sale in convenience stores and home use.
Rioba brand produces products for cafes and bars: coffee, drinks, tea and sweets. They belong to the price category above the average, but are distinguished by their quality, which even more eminent brands cannot compete with.
Stationery and office supplies are manufactured under the separate Sigma brand. The range of these products includes both more budget options and more expensive accessories.
Crockery, home textiles, seasonal goods, furniture for summer cottages and outdoor recreation - all this is produced under the brand Tarrington House. The products of this brand are represented in Russia by a rather modest assortment of goods.
Affiliated companies
Metro AG has many sub-brands. The most famous of them are: Saturn, Media Saturn Holding, Real Makro, METRO Cash & Carry International Holding, MAKRO Cash & Carry.
Each of the companies in the holding is responsible for its target segment or topic. So, Saturn Media and Real Makro specialize in electronics, and Cash & Carry networks provide a huge selection of products and household goods.
The diversification of the company’s activities allows it to clearly focus on each line of manufactured goods: from paper clips to computer chairs, from napkins to grills.
Metro & MediaMarkt - Good Friends
Since August 2017, the MediaMarkt electronics stores appeared in Metro chain hypermarkets. This project is based on the principle of "store-in-store", when two independent brands share one retail space. Payment for goods occurs at the same cash desks.
From 1998 to 2017, both companies were part of the same holding, but in the summer of 2017, another wave of diversification took place. Now the small wholesale centers are managed by the Metro Wholesale & Food Specialist Group, and Ceconomy got the equipment and electronics.
Pilot projects "store in store" were implemented in Yekaterinburg and Moscow in 2015. Over the past two years, they have proven themselves well, so it was decided to transfer all hypermarkets to this system.
The benefit of MediaMarkt in such an alliance is the ability to build up a client base in the regions and possibly get into the same league with players like Eldorado and MVideo. Moreover, this will help the brand save money on opening full-fledged stores. The disadvantage of such a "friendship" can be called a small audience, since access to hypermarkets is possible only for a certain circle of people: entrepreneurs, owners of cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Shop in Rostov-on-Don
In Rostov, the Metro store has three representative offices at once, since it is a large city. One of them is located near the central part of the city, the other two are at a greater distance, but differ in a huge assortment.
The first Metro store in Rostov opened in 2004, and the second four years later. The last hypermarket opened in November 2015.
The management of the company considers Rostov-on-Don and the entire Rostov region a favorable economic zone, as they are characterized by high growth rates of the level of development of small and medium-sized enterprises. The upcoming FIFA World Cup is also having a positive effect on open all new outlets in the city. Since the main activity of the brand is aimed specifically at interacting with the business community, the potential of the region in the eyes of Metro is really high.
Network benefits
The main advantage of Metro hypermarkets is a wide range of products. In them you can simultaneously find goods from different price categories, which allows you to meet the requirements of a large market segment.
In addition, Metro Cash & Carry has established itself as a reliable and high-quality brand with an attentive attitude to customers and the ability to solve any arising difficulties. The support service in each city works according to the schedule of the hypermarket itself.
In many regions, the Metro chain is represented by online stores with delivery anywhere in the city and beyond. The order is brought to the door of the company within 24 hours if there is the right amount of goods in stock. Both cash and bank transfer are possible.
How to become a card holder
Not everyone can become a happy owner of a pass to the Metro chain hypermarkets in Rostov. To get a loyalty card, you need to register by filling out the form. You can find it on the official website or ask at the hypermarket itself. But this is not all: cards are provided only to private entrepreneurs or authorized representatives of the company.
The process of obtaining a card is simple:
- Download the application form from the site or ask at the reception directly in the hypermarket.
- Fill out the form.
- Document the existence of a business.
- Submit the completed application to the customer service department.
- Get a card.
In certain cases, it may be necessary to provide the photograph in its original or electronic form. This is due to the fact that card readers in some hypermarkets do not recognize passes without a photo of the owner on them.
Can I get to network stores without a card?
Store rules prohibit serving customers who do not provide a loyalty card. Even the hypermarket itself can only be accessed if available.
- Two people can go along with one card with the owner.
- Every year, almost all Metro stores in Russia organize a "Doors Open Day" campaign, which usually lasts 3 days. During this period, absolutely anyone can enter the store, and you don’t have to show a card to pay for purchases.
- Some Metro stores offer the opportunity to "try" the hypermarket and provide one-time passes. Using the client number from this document, anyone can buy an unlimited amount of goods and pay for them without a valid card.
- Each employee of the hypermarket chain has his own customer number, which allows them to make purchases in unlimited quantities.
- The card of another person can be used if there is a notarized power of attorney from this person.
Metro Rostov-on-Don: how to get
The hypermarket is located in the Soviet district. The Metro address in Rostov is Dovatora 255. Getting to the store by public transport is very easy. Near the Metro there are two public transport stops: Shopping Center and Rostovtekhopttorg. You can come here by bus under the numbers 67-MT, 40-MT and 85a-MT. The road will take no more than 40 minutes from anywhere in the city.
For car owners, getting to the Metro in Rostov is even easier. For example, from the Taler shopping center to a hypermarket you can drive in 6-10 minutes. There will also be no problems with parking the car. Near the entrance to the store there is a parking lot for several hundred parking spaces.
The second store is located at the address: Prospect 40th Victory, 340. The road from the city center by bus will take about an hour and a half. The fastest way will be to get here on route number 67-MT. All other buses go here only with a transfer.
The new Metro in Rostov-on-Don opened at 1B Koroleva Avenue. Getting here faster and easier by car. Near the hypermarket there is only one public transport stop - Neklinovskaya. Directly, only the 96-MT bus travels here.
The working hours of Metro in Rostov-on-Don are the same for all hypermarkets. They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and have lunch breaks.
Metro Rostov-on-Don: reviews
All three hypermarkets are very popular among city residents. They celebrate the quality of the products presented and their wide selection. The goods at Rostov Metro surprise even the most demanding customers with their variety.
The assortment is not the only plus of the hypermarket. For someone, the most important thing is the lack of queues at the box office due to the clear and streamlined work of the staff.
The presence of a large number of parking spaces near each hypermarket also adds to the favor of customers. Given the convenient mode of operation and the ability to get here even without a personal car, this store can rightly be called the best in the city.