METRO Cash & Carry India launches its first ‘METRO Wholesale’ store in Hubballi
Mumbai, India: METRO Cash & Carry India, today launched its first ‘METRO Wholesale’ Distribution Center (store) at Hubballi. The new store, which is the company’s 31st wholesale store in India, was inaugurated by Shri Arvind Bellard, MLA, Hubli-Dharwad constituency along with Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD & CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India; and in the presence of Shri Nitish Patil, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate, Dharwad, Dr Gopal Krishna, Commissioner, Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation, and key supplier partners from the city.
METRO India has expanded its operation to north Karnataka with Hubballi, the company’s eighth store in the state after six operational stores in Bengaluru and one in Tumakuru.
Spread over 34,000 sq.ft., the Hubballi store is strategically located at Navanagar Road and is a one-stop destination for the daily needs of business customers in the city. The store, initially catering to over 35000 registered business customers, will fulfill the business requirements of kiranas and traders; Hotels, Restaurants & Caterers (HoReCa); Services, Companies and Offices (SCOs), and self-employed professionals. Apart from Hubballi, the store will cater to customers from Hubli-Dharwad and neighboring districts and talukas like Gadag, Haveri, Nargund, Navalgund, Kalgathagi, Davangere amongst others.
The new store offers METRO’s promise of 5-star quality, the wholesale price, and everything under one roof, and stocks a wide array of a globally benchmarked quality assortment of over 8000 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 expansion in India, Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD and CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India said, “We are delighted to expand our operations north of Karnataka with our eighth store in the state and bring the METRO Wholesale experience to the culturally rich city of Hubballi. As Champion for Independent Business, we are committed to empowering the small businesses and MSMEs in Hubballi by providing a robust distribution network as well as boosting the local supplier ecosystem. As we expand our footprint in the state, we are enabling employment opportunities for over 500 youth in various operations, directly and indirectly, which will provide a huge impetus to the local economy.
He further added, “With the opening of our 31st store in the country, we are bullish on our India expansion; we will continue to add more stores; create more job opportunities; upskill the local talent; strengthen the indigenous sourcing and implement METRO’s globally benchmarked quality and best practices to fulfill the larger vision of AatmaNirbhar Bharat.”
As Champion for Independent Business, METRO has always been committed to supporting the local business ecosystem; 99% of products METRO sells are all locally sourced from MSMEs & local suppliers. The Hubballi store also provides a robust platform to several indigenous regional brands such as MWB Commodities, SVT oil range, Vaishnavi Rice, and SVRM Rice amongst others to cater to the local consumption needs. Apart from a range of fresh fruits & vegetables, the store has varieties of rice, pulses, flours, spices, oil & grains, dry fruits, and an array of other commodities.
The store will also offer a variety of METRO’s Own brand products that are competitively priced to provide a value proposition to customers. The storehouse’s hotel and restaurant supplies, office supplies along with a multitude of products in the non-food segment such as electronics, apparel, textiles, households, stationery, 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 follows 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 the COVID-19 vaccine at its Hubballi store.
METRO Cash & Carry anchors over 3 million customer bases in India. Today, the company operates 31 wholesale distribution centers, catering to over 5000 suppliers, and has created over 15500 direct and indirect jobs across the country.
