Romanian Dusan Wilms, who came back at the helm of Metro Cash & Carry Romania, says that the expansion of the network has not been completed yet and that private labels will be a key point in the strategy of the next three years.
One month and a half since his comeback as the general manager of Metro Cash & Carry Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Dusan Wilms, 48, now in his second executive term on the local market, says he will complete the long-term strategy of the network in September, also considering the introduction of a new concept of business to business trade.
"The introduction of private labels, promoting and relaunching these products will be an important part of the network’s strategy for the next three years. We are preparing the relaunch of the Metro Cash & Carry’s private labels for this autumn," Wilms says.
The new manager says he will work with the same top management team as his predecessor, Francois Oliver.
Wilms had previously run the company in 1999-2005, the last years of constant expansion of the network. The goals of the current term are different, given that the cash & carry segment is witnessing a decline as a result of the crisis, with many retailers and restaurant owners giving up their businesses because of the decline in the number of clients, according to the data on the market.
The Metro Cash & Carry Romania network posted 7% decline in sales per square metre compared with 2007, a ZF analysis shows.
"We are now affected by the situation on the market in the non-food sector. On the other hand, the sales of food, which account for the largest share in the turnover, are growing quite nicely," Wilms says.
According to the data on the market, the share of food in total sales of a cash & carry store stands at about 70-75%.
Wilms does not rule out the possibility that the network might post lower sales than in 2008. "Our goal for this year is to have profitable sales, regardless of whether they decline or increase compared with 2008," he explains.
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