METRO Brings "A Bite of the World" to CIIE

SHANGHAI,Nov. 5,2018 -- The first China International Import Expo (CIIE) was opened today at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai. METRO came to the CIIE with multiple identities including an exhibitor,a buyer,and the food sponsor for the German Pavilion. At the same time,METRO is also one of the initiators for the Major Retailers Alliance,which is one of the Four Procurement Alliances of the Shanghai Trade Delegation,and is also chosen by the city's municipal commission of commerce as one of the four centralized food ingredients delivery companies for the exhibition hall of the CIIE. METRO hopes to take advantage of the CIIE to further expand global import and purchase,to bring a lot more high-quality products from various parts of the world to the China market.

Phillipe Palazzi,Chief Operating Officer (COO) of METRO AG,attended the CIIE that was opened today on behalf of the Management Board of METRO AG. He said,"China is an important growth market for METRO and we'd like to take the opportunity of CIIE to showcase our strength in imports and global sourcing,which is one of our core competences as an international player in food distribution. METRO also wants to use such a great platform to enhance our exchange and communication with local customers,business partners and other stakeholders as we are committed to the long-term development in China. That's why we at METRO AG attach great importance to CIIE. "

"METRO was well prepared for the first China International Import Expo in every detail," said Mr. Claude Sarrailh,President of METRO China. "Riding the opportunity of CIIE,we will showcase high-quality import products of our own brands and exclusive brands,and will provide a tasting zone at our booth for visitors to enjoy the delicacies around the world."

Mr. Wu Qing,Deputy Mayor of Shanghai City (middle),Mr. Phillipe Palazzi,METRO AG COO (right),and Mr. Claude Sarrailh,METRO China President (left) at the opening ceremony of CIIE and the Hongqiao International Trade Forum

METRO's booth (8.2 A3-05) is located in the Foods & Agricultural Products Area with a floor area of 110 square meters,where more than 110 imported products in 14 categories are exhibited,including chilled salmon,milk,wines,olive oil,canned products,and pasts etc. It's worth mentioning that the visitors can have a taste of "global delicacies" at METRO's booth. Chefs from METRO Catering Academy will demonstrate their skills to prepare a variety of salads as light meals through the pairing of different ingredients and seasonings and invite the visitors to taste. The visitors can also participate in the interactions and learn how to prepare salads as light meals instructed by METRO chefs. They are delicious,healthy and easy to make,and therefore have become the favorite for consumers who pursue a quality life today. Meanwhile,various high-quality imported products of METRO can also meet the growing needs of different groups of professional customers.

METRO booth

METRO booth

METRO tasting zone

Since METRO entered China in 1996,imported products have been its top priority. In recent years,the sales of METRO's imported products have been steadily growing,and the customers' needs for imported products have become increasingly diverse. A global procurement network,a quality & safety management system,as well as professional supply chain management and professional products provide strong assurance for METRO to sustainably supply high-quality imported products in the China market. Through the CIIE,apart from demonstrating its advantage in imported products,METRO also hopes to reach more high-quality suppliers via this platform,to develop new resources,to communicate with customers and industry partners,to promote collaboration,and to grow together,so as to better serve the China market.

Leveraging its mature and rigorous food safety management system,METRO has become a trusted partner for governments and major events. It has successfully served multiple important international events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics,Expo 2010 Shanghai,the 2014 Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA),the 2016 G20 summit in Hangzhou,and the 2017 BRICS summit in Xiamen. This time,as the food service provider recommended by CIIE,METRO is confident to deliver a satisfactory result again with great products and services.

Meanwhile,METRO China will launch an Imported Products Festival across its stores in the country during November 1-21,to showcase METRO's imported products in our offline stores,and to bring over 5000 kinds of products from more than 60 countries and regions to customers. By purchasing imported products in designated categories,customers will be able to enjoy a discount of 50 Yuan for every 200 Yuan (see the instructions of each store for the specific rules). At the same time,customers can also buy the imported products of METRO's own brands exhibited at the CIIE from METRO's Tmall Official Flagship Store online (https://maidelong.tmall.com/) and Tmall Overseas Flagship Store (http://metro.tmall.hk). Therefore,customers who can't personally come to the CIIE don't have to be disappointed,as they can go to METRO stores or click on METRO's official online store on Tmall.com to easily have "A Bite of the World".

The Imported Products Festival of METRO

About METRO

METRO is a leading international specialist in wholesale and food retail. The company operates in 35 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2016/17,METRO generated sales of around €37.1 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers. With its sales brands METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as delivery services and digitalization initiatives METRO sets the standards for tomorrow: for customer focus,digital solutions and sustainable business models. METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry operates more than 750 wholesale stores in 25 countries with a workforce of about 108,000 employees.

More information at: www.metroag.de

About METRO China

In 1996,METRO Cash & Carry,the international pioneer in self-service wholesale,opened its first wholesale store in the international metropolis of Shanghai,and thus brought in the country a brand new business concept. The company was among the first to gain permission from the China Central Government to set up chain operations in all major cities in China. The company has set its foot already in 58 Chinese cities with 94 stores in operation. With a headcount of over 11,000 employees,the wholesaler is serving more than 8 million customers across the country.

More information at: www.metro.cn