News

In a press communication METRO Group reported a sound development during the first half year 2009 despite the global economic crisis and continues to focus on expansion. Group sales reached € 30.5 billion. Adjusted for currency effects, sales rose by 0.5%.

To UNI Commerce this is interesting as we await to see the full outcome of the reconstruction plan "Shape 2012" which was launched earlier this year. At the time of the launch it was unclear what the employment would be though Metro Group has ensured us that the increase in effeciency will be sought mostly elsewhere. UNI Commerce welcomes the postive development at Metro Group since this gives the company greater leverage to maintain its staff.

During the first half of 2009 METRO Group generated group sales of € 30.5 billion (H1 2008: € 31.5 billion) corresponding to a 3.2% drop, which is moderate compared with other industries. Among other reasons, this trend is the result of negative currency effects in Eastern Europe and a receding inflation, mainly in the food business. In local currency, sales of METRO Group rose by 0.5%. Contrary to the negative market trend in the retail sector sales in Germany grew by 0.1% to 12.4 billion during the first half of 2009. This was in particularly owed to the like-for-like growth in sales generated by Media Markt and Saturn during the first six months and by Real in the second quarter. The sales trend in our international business was impacted by significant currency effects in the first half-year. Excluding currency effects sales rose by 0.8%. In euros, however, sales dropped by 5.3% to € 18.2 billion. Due to exchange rate fluctuations the international share of sales receded from 60.8% to 59.5%.

Read the full press communication on:

http://www.metrogroup.ro/servlet/PB/menu/1219310_l2/index.htm