The year in review
Selected events in financial year 2018/19
Q1 2018/19
Own Business Day
9/10/2018 – For the 3rd time, METRO honours the commitment of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs at Own Business Day. METRO encourages own business owners to place their offers online free of charge on a platform and thus become part of a major marketing campaign.
DISH – digital service connects restaurateurs
16/10/2018 – As part of the METRO digital offensive, interested restaurateurs can receive a free website. The new DISH online platform offers hospitality operators additional tools for more efficient management of their businesses. They include a free internet presence, a free online reservation tool and other digital solutions from third-party providers.
Sustainability: Global commitments to the New Plastics Economy
29/10/2018 – METRO signs the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global commitment to the New Plastics Economy. Among other things, 100% of plastic packaging is supposed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
Award for F-Gas Exit Programme
22/11/2018 – METRO is honoured at the ATMOsphere Europe conference for the F-Gas Exit Programme as the industry’s best food retailer. The programme is part of METRO’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions group-wide by 50% by 2030.
E-Commerce platform for Trader customers
27/11/2018 – In addition to the digital ordering platform M-Shop for hospitality industry customers, METRO launches a tailor-made online shop for Traders customers in Romania. METRO-NOM cooperates with IT service provider Spryker to set up the e-commerce platform.
METRO and Target announce international start-up programme
3/12/2018 – With the ‘METRO Target Retail Accelerator certified by Techstars’, international start-ups are given the opportunity to be supported by mentors in their efforts to set up a company with access to global wholesale and retail markets. For the first time, METRO cooperates with Target, a leading retail chain in the USA.
Q2 2018/19
9 METRO companies named ‘Top Employer 2019’
14/2/2019 – Once again, the METRO national subsidiaries in Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Pakistan, Poland and Turkey have received the ‘Top Employer’ award. METRO AG and METRO-NOM are also certified for the first time. The award recognises the fact that METRO places its employees at the centre of its entrepreneurial activities and offers an outstanding work environment.
Annual General Meeting approves dividend
15/2/2019 – METRO AG’s Annual General Meeting approves all resolutions proposed by the management and approves a dividend of €0.70 per ordinary share and preference share. As in the previous year, a stable dividend was distributed despite the ongoing transformation process.
METRO received ‘Gold Class’ award at Sustainability Award 2019
26/2/2019 – METRO is included in the Sustainability Yearbook for the 4th time in a row with the highest distinction: ‘Gold Class’. The yearbook, published by the international investment entity RobecoSAM, presents companies that draw attention through their outstanding sustainability performance. The positive rating is the result of RobecoSAM’s annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA).
Start of the purchasing cooperation Horizon International
6/3/2019 – The purchasing cooperation Horizon International between METRO, Auchan Retail, Dia Group and Casino Group starts in 47 countries in Europe, Asia and South America. The cooperation brings together market participants who share a common vision for new supplier relationships – from services for international suppliers to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in their international development.
METRO expands its international portfolio by adding Myanmar
8/3/2019 – METRO announces its official market entry in Myanmar. Supported by highly efficient digital ordering and delivery services, METRO Myanmar serves local commercial customers in the rapidly growing restaurant and tourism sector. Instead of stationary wholesale stores, METRO offers its customers a delivery service. Customers can order via website or mobile app.
Q3 2018/19
Expansion of own-brand portfolio to include organic assortment
15/4/2019 – METRO’s own-brand portfolio is expanded by an organic assortment with focus on fruits and vegetables. With METRO Chef Bio the wholesaler meets the growing demand of its customers for organic products. The own brand METRO Chef Bio will initially be introduced at METRO Austria and successively rolled out.
Exclusivity agreement signed for sale of Real
8/5/2019 – METRO and a consortium led by Redos agree on exclusive contract negotiations. The goal is to conclude a contract based on detailed due diligence.
METRO is committed to human rights in the supply chain
1/6/2019 – METRO becomes a member of Sedex. The non-profit organisation collects data on social standards in the supply chain. METRO is thus strengthening its own commitment to enforcing and complying with social standards.
METRO sets science-based target for itself
14/6/2019 – METRO expanded the climate target to the supply chain and as the first German retailer set a recognised science-based target for itself. METRO undertakes to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions by 60% per square metre of selling and delivery space by 2030 compared to 2011. Furthermore, METRO is committed to reducing absolute Scope-3-CO2 emissions (supply chain) by 15% by 2030 compared to 2018.
Q4 2018/19
METRO cooperates with Pentagast
22/7/2019 – METRO Germany and Pentagast, the largest association of catering and canteen kitchen suppliers in Germany, will start a strategic cooperation in September 2019, initially at 6 METRO locations/stores in Germany.
Trader franchise continues to grow
24/7/2019 – METRO expands its Trader Franchise concept. The number of Trader Franchise locations in the various Eastern European countries grows by 600 to 7,100 locations within one year.
Andrea Euenheim is appointed as the new Labour Director to the Management Board of METRO AG
2/8/2019 – As of 1 November 2019, Andrea Euenheim will be appointed to the Management Board of METRO AG as the new Labour Director. She is succeeding Heiko Hutmacher, who is leaving the company as of 31 December 2019 at his own request.
Voluntary takeover bid by EPGC falls short of minimum acceptance threshold
9/8/2019 – EP Global Commerce VI GmbH (EPGC), an acquisition companycontrolled by Daniel Křetínský, has not reached the minimum acceptance threshold of 67.5% for its voluntary takeover offer published on 10 July 2019.
11 European wholesale stores sold
2/9/2019 – METRO PROPERTIES sold 11 wholesale stores in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in August 2019. METRO continues to operate all wholesale stores at the respective locations based on long-term leases agreed as part of sale-and-leaseback transactions.
METRO MARKETS online marketplace launched in Germany
13/9/2019 – METRO is further expanding its digital portfolio for the hospitality industry with a new online marketplace. At the launch of the platform, more than 20,000 non-food items from approximately 40 partners are on offer. METRO MARKETS is responsible for the development and operation of the digital B2B platform.
New product solution Gourvenience under own-brand METRO Chef
24/9/2019 – Using the own-brand METRO Chef, METRO Germany introduces the Gourvenience assortment. The 200 articles comprise high-quality convenience products for restaurateurs.
Verification of efficiency measures
25/9/2019 – METRO AG confirms to review efficiency measures with regard to administrative structures, processes and business activities. The efficiency measures to be examined would be triggered by the intended sale of the hypermarket business and the resulting smaller size of the company and would predominantly depend on this transaction.
Customer focus through Net Promoter Score
30/9/2019 – Since the implementation of the Net Promoter Score roundly 2.2 million customer feedbacks have been collected. This enables METRO to respond even more efficiently to customer needs and offer customers a better shopping experience and improved delivery.
Events after the closing date
Sale of METRO China
11/10/2019 – METRO AG signs contract to sell a majority stake in METRO China to Wumei. After this transaction, the core customer groups HoReCa and Trader contribute around 70% to METRO's sales. In addition, the transaction offers further opportunities to accelerate growth organically and through acquisitions.