So many things to celebrate!

Imre Horváth, the CEO of METRO Hungary talked to our magazine about their results in 2014 and plans for 2015. Last year the company celebrated a double jubilee (the world’s first METRO store opened 50 years ago and Hungary’s first METRO opened 20 years ago) and introduced a new brand communication strategy, with the slogan ‘YOU& METRO’. METRO Hungary met previously set targets in terms of both sales and profitability. They also managed to put more work into training young experts than before. The food chain supervision fee affects them badly – either the parent company will have to write it off as loss or METRO Hungary will have to compensate for it somehow – but METRO will comply with regulations, induced by the fee becoming 20 times bigger. Talking about the 2015 strategy, the CEO told that the company’s three main customer groups are retailers, the Horeca sector and offices. Independent shops are in the most difficult position – METRO tries to offer them prices and services which can make them more competitive. The offices market is growing and METRO serves their needs with online ordering and door-to-door delivery. Mr Horváth sees the biggest growth potential in the Horeca sector: he is happy to see that many restaurants demand quality products and are willing to pay their price, too. When asked about their CSR activities, the CEO told that at Christmas all 13 stores cooperated with a local charity and collected 20 tons of food and HUF 1.5 million in for the poor. METRO Hungary and the Hungarian Food Bank Association have already involved 45 organisations in their joint programme and regularly help 43,000 people in need. (x)