Metro AG

Line

  • Olaf Koch, CEO
  • Franz Markus Haniel, Chairman

Metro AG, the public also occurs as the Metro Group, a Dusseldorf-based parent company of several wholesale and retail businesses. The Metro Group employed by December 2011 worldwide 287 929 employees, including 110 178 in Germany (p. 116). With its sales brands she's been active in 33 countries. Major international competitors are Carrefour and Tesco Metro, on the German market, Edeka and Rewe Group.

  • 3.1 Other
  • 3.2 Cross Companies

History

Creation and expansion

The history of the Metro began on November 8, 1963 in Food Bird Home, Lütkenbrauk 64 with the opening of the first self-service wholesale market under the name Metro, which still exists today. It was long assumed that the roots are, with the opening of Metro cash & carry market in Mülheim find until the end of 1964 at the Ruhr. But this Metro C & C wholesale market, which still exists today also, was the second market. Founding shareholders for the first store in Essen were two food wholesalers, the brothers Ernst Schmidt and Wilhelm Schmidt Ruth Beck, operated by the second generation, the company Karl Schmidt oH, founded by her father in 1923 in Duisburg Inner Harbour successful and over 500 SPAR food retailers supplied. Ideas was essentially Wilhelm Schmidt Ruth Beck. The name " Metro" he probably derived from the term " metropolis ". He let the naming rights for " Metro" early protect (including after consultation with the then Hollywood giant "Metro -Goldwyn -Mayer " ), which was at that time possible without remuneration.

The distribution type self-service wholesale ( cash-and -carry market ) came in the late 1950s and early 1960s from the U.S. to Germany. In particular, the RATIO markets the company Terfloth & Snoek in Münster and Bochum as well as the markets of the company Handelshof in Haan, Cologne and Mönchengladbach, but also through the markets of the brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht Aldi under the name in Neuss and Mülheim an der Ruhr these were known.

Planning and opening of the first self-service wholesale market under the name Metro in food responsible Walter Vieth, who was from 1963 to 1970 there manager.

1964, a year after the opening of the first metro market in food, also planned the company Stoecker & Rein Hagen (owner family Schell) in the neighboring city of Mülheim / Ruhr on Heifeskamp a Cash & Carry market. During the construction phase, the merchants Ruth Schmidt- Beck, Schmidt and Schell met and decided to pool their C & C activities. So they founded the Metro cash & carry markets GmbH & Co. KG, based in Mülheim, later in Dusseldorf. Solely responsible manager was Otto Beisheim until 1964, the company Stoecker & Rein Hagen ( Wholesale of electrical and domestic appliances ) authorized officer.

In 1966, as the third metro market added a house in West Berlin. Also in 1966 Otto Beisheim learned by chance Friedrich Wilhelm Lenz, the CEO of the company Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH. , On the plane from Berlin to Dusseldorf know GmbH in Duisburg and could tell him of the successful Metro activities. Haniel sought at this time after the sale of a gas station chain ( " Rhenish Prussia "), new investment opportunities. The respected business families of the Ruhr, Haniel and Schmidt- Ruth Beck, knew and trusted each other for reasons personal and business relationships. Against this background, it was Otto Beisheim with great skill, Haniel to win as a shareholder of Metro and ascend to the shareholder under this reorganization itself. The percentages varied from that date to around one third in each of the founding family Schmidt Ruth Beck and the shareholders Beisheim and Haniel.

Under the sole leadership of Otto Beisheim began in 1967 with the opening of the metro markets in Godorf in Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and, after a connection with the Dutch company SHV Holdings NV ( Steenkolen trade - Vereeniging ) Utrecht, the first C & C Wholesale Market ( company: MACRO ) in the Netherlands, as well as 1968 in Dusseldorf, a rapid and highly successful expansion of the C & C markets in the face of Germany and Europe. Since 1971 Erwin Conradi was the head of Metro AG.

Merger with Kaufhof

In March 1996, the formation of the Metro AG as the merger of Metro Cash & Carry with Kaufhof Holding AG, the German SB-Kauf AG ( from the bankruptcy estate of the co op AG ) and the Asko German Kaufhaus AG (formed from the General Saar consumption where a Metro investment company had previously held shares each ) announced. The group included the Huma shopping malls, sports stores Primus sports world, the MHB Handel AG and the office products and stationery manufacturer Pelikan AG. The shares of established retroactively as of January 1 Metro AG is listed for the first time on 22 July 1996 in the DAX at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

1998 94 Allkauf hypermarkets were also acquired, as well as the Allkauf Touristik GmbH with 160 travel agencies, which were sold by the Metro again. The Allkauf Franchise GmbH, were among the approximately 90 Photo Shops, was sold in November 1998 to Nina 's image market Sommer GmbH, Castrop -Rauxel (2001 insolvency).

In 1998, the computer trading company Vobis and Maxdata, the fashion markets eagle and the shoe stores of Reno, the discount tip, furniture moving and unprofitable Kaufhof stores to this new buyers were introduced into the founded together with Deutsche Bank and the Gerling Group portfolio companies Divaco to find. The accounting practices of the Company's management were particularly exposed in the context of existing and 2003 Divaco the fierce criticism of the former manager and music patron Hann Jörg Hereth who successfully went into a share legal challenge to the trial of the election of longtime auditor in the appeal.

Development from 2000

Since November 2002, the Metro Group trades as "Metro Group". In December 2003, the Metro parted from their participation in the Divaco KG and sold its shares to the sole shareholder and sole director Siegfried Kaske for one euro. 2004 buys Metro Divaco Adler Modemärkte back.

In 2005, the DIY chain Praktiker separated from the metro and went as a separate company on the stock market. With it, even top - construction and construction markets of extra Bau Hobby from the group were removed.

In July 2006, Metro bought the 85 German sales offices of the Wal- Mart Group, which thus gave up his loss-making business in Germany. The Wal- Mart stores were incorporated to a large extent in the Real sales brand.

In July 2008, the Extra sales was (consumer market activities with about 250 locations and approximately 1.6 billion € turnover ) taken over by the Rewe Group. The Extra stores were converted in the second half of 2008 to the Rewe range. The franchise brands Comet and Bolle, under which runs around a fifth of the approximately 250 markets were against it initially continued. The franchise headquarters went to the Rewe Group.

Metro broke up in February 2009 by the Adler fashion stores GmbH and sold Adler BluO.

At the press conference on 17 March 2010, the public was introduced to a new logo of the trade group. Through the creative orientation to the logo of the Metro Cash & Carry stores customer proximity is to be signaled, according to the company representatives, among other things more. The change in corporate identity is also an expression of the new, initialized by the reorganization program "Shape 2012" Group structure. End of 2010, the Metro Group withdrew with the sales division Metro C & C from locations in Rostock, Halle and Berlin. The site was acquired by Handelshof Rostock. The other major markets were closed.

On November 17, Metro announced that the former CEO Eckhard Cordes will leave the company on 31 December 2011. The new CEO was on 1 January 2012 Olaf Koch, previously Board member responsible for the financial department.

Ownership

At the Metro AG were to August 2007 Otto Beisheim with 18.8 percent, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH. GmbH with 18.4 percent and the Schmidt family - Ruth Beck participated with 13.0 percent. There was an agreement that the three ' original owners ' have to hold together more than 50 percent of the shares.

In early September 2007, the Franz Haniel & Cie.. Known GmbH that it has increased its stake to 15.68 percent to 34.24 percent. Simultaneously, the Schmidt family - Ruth Beck has increased its stake to 15.77 percent. Thus, these two shareholders now hold 50.01 percent of the shares. Together with the 18.46 percent of Otto Beisheim held by existing shareholders thus 68.47 percent in Metro AG.

However, the increase of the shares by the other two former shareholders prompted Otto Beisheim to get out of the existing pool contract. Early October 2009, it became known that Otto Beisheim 've sold 17 million shares for about 600 million euros. He has his share of about 18.5 per cent reduced to about 13 percent.

Due to the change of the important for inclusion in the DAX ratios of order book volume and market capitalization of the free float Metro AG is no longer listed as of September 24, 2012 in the DAX, but in the MDAX.

In August 2013, following shareholder revealed:

  • 45.78 % - shareholder groups Haniel and Schmidt- Ruth Beck
  • 09,10 % - Beisheim shareholder
  • 45.12 % - free float

Metro sales divisions

Metro AG is divided into multiple distribution lines. The largest revenue generators are shown in the following table:

In addition, maintains the Metro AG companies with different business types on Kommissionierungsbasis ( foreign names, own account).

Other

  • Sports Arena (13 sporting goods stores)
  • Al'Innovation department store chain in Belgium

Cross-section of companies

  • Dinea Gastronomie GmbH
  • Gemini Personal Service GmbH
  • Metro Properties - Metro Properties GmbH & Co. KG and Metro Properties Holding GmbH (real estate company of Metro Group, formerly MAM (Metro Group Asset Management GmbH) - name change took place on October 2011)
  • MCCD - Metro Cash & Carry Germany ( subsidiary of MCCI )
  • MCCI - Metro Cash & Carry International
  • MEM - Metro Properties Energy Management GmbH ( subsidiary of METRO PROPERTIES, formerly MAM, founded in 2005)
  • Metro Systems GmbH (IT services, until October 2010 MGI - Metro Group Information Technology GmbH)
  • MFM - Metro Group Facility Management GmbH
  • MGA - Metro Group Advertising GmbH
  • MGB - Metro Group Buying GmbH ( National Shopping, disbanded in 2010, tasks in MCC incorporated )
  • MGBI - Metro Group Buying International GmbH ( Shopping International, disbanded in 2010, tasks in MCCI incorporated )
  • MGS - Metro Group Solutions GmbH ( IT Process Management, founded in 2006, disbanded in January 2010 )
  • METRO Logistics Germany GmbH & Co. KG ( a merger of the Metro Group Distribution Logistics GmbH & Co. KG, short MDL, with the MGL ), operates among others in Hamm with 10,000 m², the largest refrigerated warehouse in Germany and nine other large central warehouse in Altlandsberg, Bremen, Essen, Frechen, Gimbsheim, Grolsheim near Bingen, Reichenbach ( Thuringia), and Kamen Unna.
  • MGP - Metro Group Account Processing GmbH
  • MGT - Metro Group Travel Services GmbH
  • MIAG - Metro International AG C.V.
  • MIB - Metro Insurance Broker GmbH

Rights to the name "Metro"

In various methods, Metro AG attempted to secure their rights to use the term "Metro". The Lower Saxon railway company Metrorail had in metronom Railroad Company, Inc. rename, but her features may continue to call Metro. Also, the Metro Rapid- Metro Express successor was renamed after threatening legal action. In Nabburg (Oberpfalz ) disco metro was sued and had to rename. Actions against the Berlin Transport Services ( BVG), the Hamburg elevated railway ( HHA ), the Hamburg Transport Association ( HVV) and the Munich Transport Company ( MVG) because of the name Metro bus for several major bus routes was dismissed at first instance. The second instance has the judgments been confirmed, but the potential uses of the transport services for the Metro name clearly limited. In the Ruhr the bike rental system metrorad ruhr had to be renamed metropolradruhr. Likewise, individuals were reprimanded, such as a 17 -year-old subway fan who owned the domain nuremberg - metro.de.

Faced with a looming conflict brand, the company named Microsoft 's interface Metro to the latest computer operating system Microsoft Windows 8.

Criticism

In May 2009, Metro made ​​headlines because in December 2008 the supply business RL Denim in Bangladesh a 18- year-old worker died, whose death was made in conjunction with the working conditions in the operation. Metro put the connection in question and announced the business relationship with the company. Three days after the publication of an article in the mirror, the company was completely closed.

The union NGWF ( National Garment Workers Federation ) in Bangladesh 's response was to the Clean Clothes Campaign in conjunction. Since May practiced from this together with the Association Christian Initiative Romero, verdi and the National Labor Committee public pressure on Metro, so that the Group On 18 June 2009 the resumption of business relationships with RL Denim agreed. R. L. Denim had meanwhile improved the working conditions at the factory.

Others

  • Every year in May, the "Metro Group Marathon " held in Dusseldorf.
  • Metro AG was namesake and sponsor of the DEG Metro Stars (now in Düsseldorf again EC).
  • The company health insurance fund of the Metro Group ( Metro AG Kaufhof BKK) went in July 2009 after merger in the commercial insurance - on KKH.
Types of business entity Aktiengesellschaft International Securities Identification Number Supervisory board Profit (economics) Holding company Karl Albrecht Metro Cash and Carry Walmart Hamburger Hochbahn Hamburger Verkehrsverbund Aareal Bank Airbus Group Aurubis Brenntag Celesio Deutsche EuroShop ElringKlinger Fielmann Fuchs Petrolub Gagfah Gerresheimer Hugo Boss Rational AG Salzgitter AG SGL Carbon Symrise Wincor Nixdorf Adidas Bayer Continental AG Deutsche Post Deutsche Telekom E.ON Fresenius Medical Care The Linde Group Siemens Altana Dresdner Bank Epcos Karstadt Mannesmann VEBA
83739
de