MARKETING

Metro Cash and Carry country market portfolio

Metro Cash and Carry country market portfolio

Background

In the cash and carry segment, Metro Cash and Carry is a global leader, having a presence in 30 countries, with Indonesia potentially being the latest addition to its ever expanding bid to reach out to the international market. It is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, and generated € 33.1 billion in revenue in 2008.

Metro and Makro are the brands of Metro Cash and Carry. Metro Cash and Carry is an example of a business to business type wholesale model and has been one of the success stories of contemporary commerce. The business model is solely aimed at restaurants, hotels, medium sized retailers, and small sized retailers, in addition to being directed at caterers, cafes and other small sized retailers. The target group has been facilitated as a result of Metro Cash and Carry's easy and under-one-roof solution to their purchasing woes, offering them the luxury to buy quality goods at the best possible rates and ensuring value for money. As a result, the customers' business has seen marked improvement with considerable benefits. Metro Cash and Carry not only offers a solution to all purchasing worries of its customers under one roof, but it also offers them supplies on a consistent basis, thus acting as their main source of supplies. In addition, it offers its customers products of the highest quality at reasonable rates, and helps in the assortment improvement of its customers.

Portfolio Description

Metro Cash and Carry has a physical presence in 30 countries at this point in time, including China, and is exploring other markets, such as Indonesia to invest in. It is present in Europe and Asia, with its influence growing as a result of its quality services and products at fair rates.

This assignment shall look to shed light on China's Metro cash and carry market portfolio, and will try and suggest ways through which the country portfolio could be improved in the coming years.

Metro China

China, being the most populous country in the world with a population of around 1.34 billion people, has a large potential, and a dream destination for a fast-growing company such as Metro Cash and Carry. Therefore, the company opened up on Chinese soil in Shanghai in 1996 its first self-service wholesale store, in order to capitalise on the huge Chinese market. The China Central Government allowed it to establish its operations chain, and as such became one of the first few firms to be granted permission by the government. The number of outlets throughout the country total 52, spread across 37 cities of China, as of 2011. Approximately 3 million customers are being served throughout the country by a total of 9,000 employees currently working at Metro Cash and Carry in China. The company intends to further invest in China, and wants to grow further in the years to come, since it realises the potential of the huge Chinese market.

Retail brands of Metro China

In 2003, Metro China ...