How customers perceive the METRO marketplace

Since opening its doors in 2016, Pizzeria Birreria Luppolo e Grano has been a beloved destination for pizza lovers in the local community in northern Italy near Bergamo/Lago d'Iseo. The pizzeria is known for its signature pizza scrocchiarella. It is a reinterpretation of the Roman pinsa, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Everything is hand-made with love. The dough is even gluten-free. In order to create not just pizza, but specialties of southern Italy, the owners Francesca and Antonio Ianni rely on a network of trusted suppliers that share their commitment to quality and sustainability. Roughly twice a week they shop at METRO. The assortment allows the pizzeria to maintain a consistent level of quality across its menu and ensure that every pizza is a delicious masterpiece of flavour and texture.

Oskar Erlacher, owner of Hotel Kristall, became a HoReCa professional thanks to his parents, who opened the hotel. The seasonal hotel has 40 rooms and 22 employees and features a kitchen reserved for hotel guests only. Five chefs assist them with local and international cuisine. The hotel stocks up from several vendors many times during the week, including from METRO Italy and its store in Brunico.

Discovering a new way to procure: METRO marketplace

When Francesca and Antonio Ianni were in need of a new refrigerator, they turned to their trusted METRO sales force manager, Donatella Galdini. She recommended METROs B2B marketplace, confident that they would find the products they needed at a great price. ’The service was much more efficient and effective than I expected‘, says Francesca, adding, ’as a matter of fact, we ordered the refrigerators a few days before 15 August, a national bank holiday here in Italy, and they arrived within a few days.’ Francesca was particularly impressed by the range of products available on the platform and its ease of use. The fact that METRO is behind this platform was of huge importance for her.

Hotel Kristall Manager Oskar Erlacher found out about ‘Mercato Online’ by browsing through the website of metro.it. He browses quite methodically and only if he is really in need of something. ’My first purchase with Mercato Online were drinking glasses‘, said Erlacher. ‘I couldn’t find this specific style anywhere else. I care less about who is behind a particular platform and more about that I get everything within two days and don´t need to go anywhere – it saves me a lot of time.’

The future is digital

Francesca is always looking for new innovations for her business. They use the DISH reservation tool and are constantly innovating and expanding their offer. ’Of course‘, she says. ‘The complexity of procuring fresh products is high, but we are excited about the potential availability of fresh products on the platform in the future.’ Oskar, owner of Hotel Kristall, adds: ’I would buy anything online. The important thing is that everything is delivered in a few days.’