Metro Cash & Carry India opens its 30th ‘Metro Wholesale’ store in India at Guntur

Chandigarh: METRO Cash & Carry, India’s largest organized wholesaler and food specialist today launched its first ‘METRO Wholesale’ Distribution Center (store) at Guntur. The new store, which is its 30th METRO wholesale store in India, was inaugurated by Shri Mohammad Musthafa Shaik, MLA, Guntur (East) and Shri Maddali Giridhara Rao, MLA, Guntur West in the presence of government officials, local dignitaries, key supplier partners and METRO leadership team in India. The new store is the third METRO Wholesale store in the state of Andhra Pradesh after Vijaywada and Visakhaptanam.
 
METRO has implemented a stringent 30 step safety measure at the store as part of its commitment towards providing a safe and hygienic environment for employees and customers. 100% of METRO’s in-store staff including direct employees, promoters, housekeeping, security staff, and drivers have been vaccinated with first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at its Guntur store.
 
Spread over 44000 sq.ft., the Guntur store is strategically located at Mangalgiri Road and is a one stop destination for daily needs of business customers in the city. The store, initially catering to over 60,000 registered business customers, will fulfill business requirements of kiranas and traders; Hotels, Restaurants & Caterers (HoReCa); Services, Companies and Offices (SCOs) and self-employed professionals. Apart from Guntur, the store will cater to customers from neighboring regions such as Narasaraopet, Ponnur, Chirala, Baptala, Repalley, Vinukonda, Inkolu, MacFarlane, Karampudi, Gurajala, Dhacypalli amongst others. 

The new store offers METRO’s promise of-5 star quality, wholesale price and everything under one roof, and stocks a wide array of globally benchmarked quality assortment of over 9000 products in both food and non-food category. The store will help generate close to 500 direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local and state economy. The store is also integrated with METRO’s B2B e-commerce app- ‘METRO Wholesale’ App for traders and kiranas and will offer them the convenience of browsing and ordering online, and getting their stocks delivered at their doorstep through GPS enabled trucks.
Speaking about METRO’s commitment towards sustainable growth in India, Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD and CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India said, “We have been optimistic about our presence in the Andhra Pradesh and have been mapping various locations for expansion of operation. Guntur store is our third wholesale store in AP and reaffirms our commitment to the state, our store format, our big focus on Omni channel and our mission of growing sustainably and profitably in India. The store is a significant addition to our portfolio as it strengthens our foot hold in South India with 14 operational stores now; seven stores each in AP Telangana region and Karnataka respectively.
He further added, “We are generating employment opportunities for over 500 youth in various operations directly and indirectly, which will provide a huge impetus to the local economy. With the opening of our 30th METRO Wholesale store in India, we are bullish on our India expansion; we will continue to add more stores; create newer employment opportunities; upskill local talent; strengthen the indigenous sourcing, and implement METRO’s globally benchmarked quality and best practices to fulfil the larger vision of AatmaNirbhar Bharat .”

As Champion for Independent Business, METRO is committed to support the local business eco-system; 99% of products METRO sells are all locally sourced from MSMEs & local suppliers. The Guntur store also provides a robust platform to several indigenous regional brands such as Sangam & Heritage Dairy & Milk products, Double Horse & Deer brand Urad Whole, Priya oils & Pickles amongst others to cater to the local consumption needs.  Apart from range of fresh fruits & vegetables, the store has varieties of rice, pulses, flours, spices, oil & grains, dry fruits and array of other commodities. The store will also offer a variety of METRO’s Own brand products that are competitively priced to provide value proposition to customers. The store houses hotel and restaurant supplies, office supplies along with multitude of products in the non-food segment such as electronics, apparels, textiles, households, stationary, home improvements, footwear, luggage etc. Apart from a diverse product range, METRO Wholesale members will receive expertise and assistance from METRO’s commodity experts and access to a loyalty program designed to make their buying experience more seamless and affordable.

METRO has been at the forefront of enriching independent businesses and empowering the Kirana ecosystem through its Smart Kirana program. A first of its kind initiative, the program helps traditional mom and pop stores to transform with modernization and digitalization solutions to compete in the modern retail landscape. METRO is leading the way in kirana digitization and has so far helped modernize operations of over 2000 kiranas across the country.

METRO Cash & Carry anchors over 3 million customer base in India. Today, the company operates 30 wholesale distribution centres, catering to over 5000 suppliers, and has created over 15000 direct and indirect jobs across the country. /August 12, 2021