It’s a platform that offers everything from grill plates to serviettes, all with a guarantee of quality. The METRO online marketplace now exists in six countries and stocks more than 850,000 products in Germany alone. What sets it apart is its focus on the needs of professionals.
In the METRO online marketplace (www.metro.de in Germany, see info box for other countries), customers can buy products offered directly by METRO as well as the products of verified third-party sellers. This one-stop shop therefore saves restaurateurs from having to laboriously search on multiple websites. The prices are set with professional customers in mind – thanks to bulk discounts, the more units they buy, the lower the product unit price. But above all, unlike other online marketplaces, the product range is very much aimed at hoteliers, restaurant owners and caterers (HoReCa).
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sellers offer goods in the METRO online marketplace in Germany – in addition to METRO’s own product range
The product categories tell the customers that the articles are suitable for professional use – entitled ‘Workwear’, ‘Food service accessories’, ‘Commercial kitchen equipment’ and ‘Hotel and dining area’, they stock nothing but goods that meet METRO’s defined criteria for HoReCa products. As is also the case in the other categories, third-party suppliers wishing to advertise articles in these areas are required to submit their product data in advance. The Product Data team checks this data and either approves or rejects it. There are guidelines that have to be observed by the third-party sellers too – among other things, they have to have a HoReCa focus in order to qualify for a cooperation.
Unlike shopping at the local METRO wholesale store, the customers do not need a METRO card to make purchases in the online marketplace. So whether they need a chest freezer, printer paper or two dozen table lamps for outdoors, the customers can be confident of finding exactly what they are looking for – in the quality they need. Leaving their guests to have full confidence in them.
Launched in Germany in 2019, the marketplace has since also gone online in Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands, and was also rolled out in France in September 2023. All the approved sellers are traders. They themselves benefit from METRO being a strong brand as well as from its infrastructure. The B2B platform is operated by the METRO MARKETS business unit. Its international expansion is part of METRO’s sCore strategy.
A range specifically for professional customers. Own brands with excellent value for money and top quality. Local wholesale stores, delivery services (Food Service Distribution, FSD), the online marketplace and digital solutions, specially tailored to the needs of the food service industry. METRO invests to support customers and make them even more successful. The METRO strategy sCore sets the goals until 2030. The successes are also reflected in the figures for financial year 2022/23.