The revenue of the store chain returned to more than EUR900 million after a one-year hiatus and came after it closed a store in Romania so it now has 30 left. It closed a large store in Braila due to poor performance. Metro has two store formats in the country, junior and Punct. The latter take up 2,000 to 3,000 square meters and carry a smaller selection of products compared with junior stores that are three or four times bigger.
Out of 30 Metro stores in Romania, five are Punct stores.
The revenue of Metro Cash & Carry returned to growth in Romania despite the closing of one store because of the rising consumer spending. Consumer spending went up almost 9% last year and became the growth driver of the economy. Metro benefits from the rise in consumer spending because it serves small traditional retailers, which in turn sell to consumers.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)