The focus of Metro Direct is to make the back-end logistics efficient. The first products are barware, kitchenware and linen.
Metro Cash & Carry India, which plans to take its supermarket store count to 50 by 2020, has launched Metro Direct, a prototype of its B2B e-commerce portal in Bengaluru. To begin with, the portal is offering products such as barware, kitchenware and linen among others for restaurants & hotels.
“We have started a B2B e-commerce prototype, Metro Direct, which has been developed by the Indian team and offers non-food products to its existing customers in Bengaluru,” said Rajeev Bakshi, MD, Metro Cash & Carry India.
Bakshi said with higher disposable incomes, consumers had become more demanding and this prototype was a step in the direction of being able to offer wider options to consumers, as also products that are sometimes not stocked at its store. Metro Cash will be testing the prototype for the next two-three months to gauge consumer response before it decides on further expansion. It has tied up with third-party logistics partners for delivery of the products.
Last year, the company had announced plans to expand its wholesale distribution centres to 50 by 2020. Bakshi said the company expects to open six-seven stores a year, and has been looking at expansion through clusters in North and South India. It will look at opening stores in the metros before moving to smaller cities.
