SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- METRO China is continuing to tap into the enormous market potential of Shanghai, by opening its newest wholesale store today in Qingpu District, a suburban area that is rapidly becoming the next focus for development in Shanghai. The store marks METRO's seventh location in Shanghai, making the city home to the largest number of METRO stores in China; meanwhile the company's online store metromall.cn will also be ready to serve local customers on the same day to better meet their needs.
"Shanghai is the headquarters of METRO China and represents one of our most important markets," said Jeroen de Groot, President of METRO China. "We are as committed as ever to growing alongside our customers. With the opening of our new Qingpu Store, we will be able to better serve our local customers in this thriving district. As 2015 is the 'Year of Food Safety,' we will also continue to commit to food safety, providing our customers with safe and high-quality products."
Leading International Wholesaler Implements Globally-Recognized Food Safety Measures
On the Grand Opening Day, local customers flocked to the new METRO Store, where they witnessed METRO's high standard of food safety and quality assurance. As the only wholesaler with all stores in China Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)-certified, METRO has implemented strict quality assurance throughout its supply chain and store operations, covering supplier selection and assessment, distribution center operation, cold chain transportation, and storage and sales in the store.
In line with HACCP standards, Qingpu Store sales areas have been divided into designated color zones according to different product categories to prevent cross-contamination. For instance, green areas are for fruits and vegetables, blue zones for seafood, and red for all meat products, etc. As part of METRO's leading Traceability System, traceability barcodes on product packages allow customers to scan and view entire product lifecycles, creating transparency to enhance customers' confidence. To be considerate for customers, METRO has also listed product ingredients and allergen reminders in the bakery area. For its unique Express Delivery service in the store, coolers are equipped to maintain food freshness and taste on the way delivering to customers, guaranteeing an unbroken cold chain.
"The cold chain is crucial to maintaining food freshness and quality," explained Ms. Gao Jianhua, General Manager of the METRO Qingpu Store. "Our new store features multiple temperature zones and advanced refrigeration technologies, which provide precise temperature control to ensure food freshness. For example, meats are kept between 0-4°C, while dairy products are between 5-7°C. For the convenience of our customers, they can borrow clean cotton-padded jackets we've prepared if they wish to enter the cold sales areas to select products there."
Qingpu Store to Promote METRO's New Cash & Carry Store Concept
Conveniently located at the Songze Huacheng Business Center in Zhaoxiang Town of Qingpu, METRO's new wholesale store covers a sales area of nearly 4,200 square meters, offering an assortment of over 16,100 items. As a leading international wholesaler, METRO provides a full range of high-quality food, such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables delivered freshly to store every day, as well as dairy, dry goods, wine and liquor. On the grand opening day, the store holds various tasting sessions to provide customers with fantastic experience of famous domestic and imported products, and METRO's Own Brands.
The store also sells a wide range of non-food products, including Seasonal, Kitchen, Cooking & Table, Apparel, Office & Media, and Business & Home Care, satisfying customers' various needs.
To meet expectations of the customers, especially small and independent businesses, METRO Qingpu store adopts a wholesale pricing scheme. On top of the already competitive shelf prices, customers will receive 5% off if they buy 3 of the same item, and up to 20% off on 6 of the same on selected items, truly buying more with better prices.
To stay relevant to professional customers, METRO Qingpu store features Cash & Carry new store concept, with elements such as METRO Cafe, Welfare & Gifting Showroom, Express Delivery, scan pole, information counter, etc. The store offers complementary Wi-Fi coverage for all customers to enjoy free internet access. The new store is also equipped with a delivery platform serving both the stationary store and METRO China's e-commerce channel, supporting the company's development of multi-channel strategy. Meanwhile, customers can enjoy a series of services, such as "Worry-Free Shopping", "Worry-Free Repair", and "Worry-Free METRO Mail", to further enhance purchasing experience.
About METRO Cash & Carry
METRO Cash & Carry is represented in 26 countries with over 750 self-service wholesale stores. With a headcount of about 117,000 employees worldwide, the wholesale company achieved sales of about € 31 billion in the financial year 2013/2014. METRO Cash & Carry is a sales division of METRO GROUP. METRO GROUP is one of the largest and most important international retailing companies. In the financial year 2013/14 it generated sales of around €63 billion. The company operates around 2,200 stores in 30 countries and has a headcount of around 250,000 employees. The performance of METRO GROUP is based on the strength of its sales brands that operate independently in their respective market segments: METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry - the international leader in self-service wholesale - Media Markt and Saturn - the European market leader in consumer electronics retailing - Real hypermarkets and Galeria Kaufhof department stores.
More information at: www.metrogroup.de
Profile of METRO China
In 1996, METRO Cash & Carry, the international leader in self-service wholesale, opened its first wholesale store in the international metropolis of Shanghai. The company was among the first to gain permission from the China Central Government to set up chain operations in all major cities in China. Over the last decade, the company has set its foot already in 56 cities with 82 outlets in operation in China. With a headcount of over 12,000 employees, the wholesaler is serving more than 4 million buying customers across the country.
More information at: www.metro.cn
