07 November 2022, Mumbai:
Reliance Industries is set to buy Metro’s cash and carry business in India. The deal is likely to include 31 wholesale distribution centers, land banks and other assets owned by the German retailer in India.
The acquisition will help Reliance Retail increase its presence in the B2B segment.With the completion of the deal, Metro will become the second multinational retailer to exit from the low margin B2B business in India after French Carrefour in 2014.
Metro caters to businesses such as retailers, kirana stores, hotels, restaurants, caterers, corporates, and companies and entered the Indian market in 2003. The company currently operates 31 wholesale distribution centers under the brand Metro Wholesale including six in Bangalore, four in Hyderabad, two each in Mumbai and Delhi, and one each in Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Zirakpur, Amritsar, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Lucknow, Meerut, Nashik, Ghaziabad, Tumakuru, Visakhapatnam, Guntur and Hubballi.
Metro cash and carry India’s core customers include small retailers and kirana stores, hotels, restaurants and caterers, corporates, small and medium enterprises, all types of offices, companies and institutions as well as self-employed professionals. Only business customers are allowed to purchase at Metro, all of them are duly registered and provided with a customer registration card.
