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Supplier conference of Metro Cash & Carry Japan: signs set for growth
Metro Cash & Carry China launches campaign on food safety for children
METRO GROUP supports Special Olympics in Bremen
Metro leads initiative on sustainable agriculture in Vietnam and Asia
Federal President Köhler visits METRO GROUP at EXPO in Shanghai
The enormous potential for Metro Cash & Carry and the opportunities for producers in Japan were the key topic of this year’s supplier conference in Tokyo. More than 500 participants informed themselves in the Japanese capital about the planned expansion of the international leader in self-service wholesale. This year, another three Metro Cash & Carry stores are to be opened in the Greater Tokyo area.
With more than eight million inhabitants in the conurbation surrounding the metropolis Tokyo, the market for hotels, restaurants, caterers and food traders is gigantic – about five times the size of the comparable food service market in Germany. Metro Cash & Carry wants to leverage this potential and set up another three new wholesale stores in and around Tokyo. The company is already operating four stores in Japan. The business partners of Metro Japan are particularly important for this growth. "The partnership with our suppliers is decisive to achieve our ambitious expansion targets", said Frans Muller, CEO of Metro Cash & Carry International for Asia/CIS/New Markets, at the supplier conference hosted recently. "Our suppliers can grow together with us because we are in the process of tapping the gigantic opportunities of the Japanese market".
Expansion plans met with positive response in Japan
The roughly 500 suppliers praised the expansion plans of the wholesale operator, its assortment policy and its international strategy. This offers Japanese producers the opportunity to also test the export of their own products through the international network of Metro Cash & Carry.
In Shengyang, Metro Cash & Carry China recently launched the nation-wide education campaign "Safe Food – Happy Life" on food safety for children. With this campaign, the company – together with various Chinese institutions – wants to raise awareness for the issues of food safety and healthy nutrition already at the school age. In total, around 1,500 children will participate in the two-month campaign.
At the kick-off event in Shengyang, the employees of Metro Cash & Carry China presented the food traceability system "Star Farm" with descriptive examples and in a playful manner to an audience of about 100 children. In addition, Chen Xiaoling, an expert from the Chinese "Youngsters' Health Guidance Center" of the Red Cross, gave a lecture on food safety and healthy nutrition specifically addressing the children.
Transparency for professional customers
Metro Cash & Carry introduced the "Star Farm" food traceability system in the province of Anhui in 2007 and trained the local farmers in the production of safe foods as a part of the "Farm to Fork" quality process. The innovative traceability system guarantees food safety throughout the supply chain from the producer to the consumer and offers maximum transparency for professional customers. Already now it comprises 1,000 traceable "Star Farm" agricultural products.
Around 30 vocational trainees of METRO GROUP actively supported the national summer games of the Special Olympics, the Olympics for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities held from June 14 to 18. This is the fourth time already that METRO GROUP vocational trainees support the project in the framework of the Social Commitment of Vocational Trainees programme. The company has been successfully conducting the Social Commitment of Vocational Trainees programme since 1999 so that it has in the meantime become an integral part of the corporate citizenship of METRO GROUP. In Bremen, the vocational trainees attended to the culinary needs of the roughly 4,800 athletes and their coaches.
One of the highlights was the visit of the current President of the German Bundesrat and mayor of Bremen to the Metro tent. Jens Böhrnsen praised the corporate citizenship of METRO GROUP and thanked our vocational trainees for their social commitment. METRO GROUP rounded off its contribution to the event with a donation in the amount of € 50,000.
Frans Muller, CEO of the MCC Business Unit Asia and New Markets, co-chaired the important World Economic Forum (WEF) Summit on East Asia 2010 in Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam. Other senior managers from Metro Asia also joined the 2-days event attended by around 500 participants from 40 countries including Heads of State from the region, high-ranking politicians and representatives from trade and industry. Metro’s farmer initiatives in Vietnam inspired the Forum to create a private/public task force for sustainable agriculture.
At the Forum, Frans Muller joined different panel discussions and meetings together with political and economic leaders for instance on Sustainability and Agriculture in Asia. Mr. Muller took the opportunity to explain Metro's efforts and initiatives to support the region's food safety, agricultural production and supply chain development. As an instant result of these discussions, it was agreed to form a task force between private companies and the Vietnamese government for sustainable agricultural growth. Led by Metro's approach, the initiative will take innovative steps to improve food security and agricultural sustainability across Vietnam.
High-ranking visitor at the World Exposition: Horst Köhler visited the joint stand of the City of Duesseldorf and METRO GROUP. Together with Dr Eckhard Cordes, CEO of METRO GROUP, the Federal President symbolically opened the first Chinese Media Markt store, which is scheduled to open its gates in Shanghai in October this year.
On the occasion of the German Nations Day at EXPO 2010, Federal President Horst Köhler also visited the joint stand of the City of Duesseldorf and METRO GROUP on 20 May. Together with CEO Dr Eckhard Cordes, the Management Board members Thomas Unger and Frans W.H. Muller as well as Media-Saturn CEO Roland Weise, the Federal President visited the exhibition spaces of Metro Cash & Carry and Media Markt. The highlight of the visit was the symbolic opening of the first Chinese Media Markt store. The Metro sales brand will start operating in Shanghai in October and plans to open more than 100 stores within the next five years.
Film about the visit of de Federal President at EXPO and the press conference on the strategy for Asia: Start film
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