OREANDA-NEWS. On 08 May 2009 was announced, that METRO Cash & Carry continued its successful growth course in fiscal year 2008, despite the challenging economic environment. Sales grew by 4.6 percent to ? 33.1 billion, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) improved by 6.8 percent to reach ? 1.3 billion. “We are satisfied with our business development in 2008. METRO Cash & Carry consequently strengthened its leading position in self-service wholesale“, said Frans Muller, CEO of METRO Cash & Carry International and Member of the Management Board of METRO Group.

METRO Cash & Carry Ukraine increased sales by 24% to ? 1,016 Mio. in 2008 (? 818 Mio. in 2007). In 2008 5 new stores were added to the network: the second store in Odessa, two more stores in Makiyivka and Mariupol (Donetsk region) as well as stores in Ivano-Frankivsk and Simferopil. The five new stores created al-most 1,500 new jobs bringing a total investment into the Ukrainian economy of about ? 80 Mio. Having invested ? 460 Mio. into the local economy since the mar-ket entry in 2003 the company has created almost 7,000 new jobs for Ukrainians in 23 stores in 18 cities.

“We can look back on another successful year in 2008 continuing our strategy of profitable growth of the last years. Despite the current economic crisis in Ukraine we still intend to open two more stores in 2009”, said Axel Hluchy, Managing Di-rector of METRO Cash & Carry Ukraine.

МETRO Сash and Carry Ukraine has continued its cooperation with 1,250 suppliers. It sources more than 90 percent of its merchandise from Ukrainian producers, distributors and importers. The assortment offered to its professional customers consists of 29,000 articles in food and non-food. Together with its suppliers it successfully enlarged the own brand portfolio by introducing two new own brands: HoReCa Select and H-Line to serve especially the HoReCa segment. By now METRO Cash & Carry Ukraine offers 3,000 articles under 17 own brands. As of today 182 suppliers, of which 145 are Ukrainian, produce exclusively food and non-food own brand products. Sales of own brand products rose by 1.1 percent and represented 8.1 percent of total sales in 2008.

To strengthen its customer service and to better respond to customers’ needs in 2008 METRO Cash & Carry Ukraine transformed its Marketing Department into a Customer Management Department with a number of new functions such as Tar-get Group Management HoReCa and Traders, Corporate Branding and Own Brand Management.

This year METRO Cash & Carry Ukraine intends to continue its expansion opening its fourth store in Kyiv and its second in Kharkiv in the second quarter of 2009 bringing the total number of stores to 25.

In 2008, METRO Cash & Carry advanced its international expansion and ex-tended its store portfolio by 40 to a total of 655 wholesale stores. The focus was once again on the growth markets in Eastern Europe and Asia. In Russia alone, the company opened nine new wholesale stores. Overall, the international business accounted for 83 percent of the sales in 2008. For 2009, METRO Cash & Carry has planned the opening of its first stores in Egypt and Kazakhstan.

In addition, METRO Cash & Carry will tailor its assortments, services and processes even stronger to the needs of professional customers. Amongst others the company has launched a delivery service in several countries, among them Ukraine and developed a new own brand concept, comprising high-class products sold at favorable wholesale prices. “This way we are offering our customers a real added-value and support them in strengthening their own business”, said Frans Muller. “This is of major importance especially in the current economic situation.”