Supermarkets/ Hypermarkets in Pakistan

[brightside.]

Where did the 'e' in Dolmen go?

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

Thanks for sharing, looks great...

[deltaone]

Nice pics Faisal. Looks great.

Originally Posted by brightside.

Where did the 'e' in Dolmen go?

Good question. lol.

I hope they place it back.

[malpensa]

Makro is a inferior store to METRO hopefully Makro is brought up to METROS standard now

[malpensa]

KARACHI:
METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan and Makro-Habib Pakistan have announced on Thursday, the completion of their merger, after obtaining approval from shareholders and the anti-trust and corporate authorities of Pakistan.
The merged entity will now be known as METRO-Habib Cash & Carry (Private) Limited, and will operate nine wholesale centres in four major cities.
“The merger is now complete with the approval of the Pakistani anti-trust and corporate authority, regulatory and other approvals and the sanction of the Court,” [sic] a press release issued by the company said.
METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan (Private) Ltd and Makro-Habib Pakistan Ltd had announced their merger plans in June last year.
“With the merger of our businesses, we have combined resources to gain the financial strength to lead and grow in a challenging environment, and to create synergies targeted to generate value for our customers and suppliers alike,” METRO-Habib Cash & Carry (METRO) Managing Director David Boner said.
With its combined strength, the company will be better able to provide a comprehensive product range at good quality and competitive prices; all under one roof for customers.
With growth of its business, the company says it will enhance relationships with its suppliers by working closely with them. In order to boost sales, company officials say the merger may entail some changes in the business strategies of the new entity.
METRO-Habib Cash & Carry already has a database of large, medium and small suppliers in the domains of food and non-food articles. Company officials say the company is working on a training project for local farmers that will not only eliminate middle-men, but also improve the quality of farm produce in Pakistan.
Around 56 farmers, including companies, have undergone training programmes in Pakistan under METRO’s sister concern ‘Star Farm’. The project has enabled farmers to develop 20 traceable food products from Pakistan, to promote Pakistani products in export markets.
Out of these 56 farmers and companies, 20 were sent to Germany, where they received training and international certifications necessary for export markets. These farmers may now export their products on their own, with the help of acquired training and certifications, a company official said.
With the core domain of its business focused on food, the company has been keen to develop and train suppliers regularly with regards to food safety and quality procedures.
The company says it believes in strengthening the local economy, and procures more than 90% of goods sold from local suppliers. The company also reaches out to local farmers and producers by providing them with customised training programmes that address gaps in knowledge and technical skills; thus helping small and medium enterprises grow in both local and international markets.
Customers who shop from METRO are required to be registered and have a company customer card. This means that METRO will not sell to private consumers. The wholesaler is not a super- or hypermarket chain targeting private consumption, but a modern form of wholesale exclusively tailored to the needs of businesses and companies.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2012.

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

[Karlrove]

Is Makro Saddar Centre still open? It is no longer being listed in promotional material for Metro/Makro.

[brightside.]

Yes, it is still open.

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

Consumer patterns: Retail stores witness mixed trends


Hyperstar, launched in 2009 in Lahore and 2011 in Karachi, saw a noticeable increase in consumer spending while other retailers witnessed only slight to moderate growth.

Despite sluggish economic growth, leading super market chains – that mainly cater to middle and upper income classes – have witnessed moderate to significant growth in consumer spending recently.

“We have seen a significant increase in the number of customers as well as the size of their baskets,” Hyperstar’s Vice President Development, Mubashir Jalili said. “Spending increased in general – both food and non-food items,” he added.

Citing reasons, Jalili said people’s buying power has increased for multiple reasons. The government has increased salaries while property – real estate – prices also went up, he said, resulting in more disposable cash for those who sold their properties recently.

Hyperstar, subsidiary of Majid al-Futtaim Group, launched from Lahore in 2009 and opened shop in Karachi at the end of 2011.

The record increase in overseas workers’ remittances and gains at the stock markets are other possibilities for the increase in consumer buying power, Jalili said.

Remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis crossed $13 billion for the first time in the country’s history in fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, a growth of more than 17% when compared with $11.2 billion of the corresponding period.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) 100-share index crossed the 15,000 point mark on August 17, a level last hit in May 2008.

While Hyperstar saw a noticeable increase in consumer spending – in grocery, textile and other items – other retailers said they witnessed only slight to moderate growth and that, too, in food items mainly.

“There was a slight improvement in some areas but nothing significant,” said Metro Cash and Carry Director Corporate Communications Pervaiz Akhtar.

Akhtar said they observed growth in edible grocery but non-food items didn’t grow as such. “People can’t compromise on essentials but they can reduce spending on non food items – electrical appliances and luxuries,” he said. “The main impact of the economic slowdown is on non-food items,” he said.

Germany-based Metro has been operating in Pakistan since 2007. Following its merger with Makro Habib Cash and Carry, it became the largest supermarket chain in Pakistan having a network of ten stores in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad.

If one looks at numbers, they are better than last year,” Akhtar said. However, if one adjusts the impact of inflation, the overall spending trend remained the same as it was last year, he added – that’s despite the reduction in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) – a primary measure of inflation – which dropped from 12.4% in July 2011 to 9.6% in July 2012 on year-on-year basis. The food inflation, for the same period, dropped significantly from 17.1% to 9.1% on a yearly basis.

The market has become very competitive and no one can afford to make mistakes, said Arif Naqi, Chief Executive Establishment at Imtiaz Super Market. One has to have proper strategy and competitive prices to retain customers. “We have seen slight increase on the grocery side but it is not noticeable. As far as Ramazan sales are concerned, they increase anyway especially in grocery, dates, beverages and clothing,” he added.

While retailers have witnessed some growth in the consumer spending – particularly in edible grocery – it doesn’t reflect the nationwide increase in consumer spending or economic recovery, said Managing Director of Emerging Markets Research Muzammil Aslam.

The economist said consumer spending pattern in Pakistan – where half the economy is undocumented – cannot be considered as a measurement for economic recovery. These supermarkets cater to metropolitan areas thus it does not paint the overall picture of the economic recovery, he said.

Real estate prices have increased recently, prices of wheat and maize also increased in international markets, Aslam said, but on the flip side no new projects have come in the country – the economy grew to 3.7% in fiscal 2012 compared with 3% of fiscal 2011, however, it remained lower than target of 4.2%.

[Dallas1]

[Dallas1]

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

Does anyone saw this store open?? They were saying that 16 stores will open in Lahore in September...

[malpensa]

is any other location of hyperstar started construction?

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

Originally Posted by malpensa

is any other location of hyperstar started construction?

It will open in Lucky One Mall, thats the only Hyperstar that might open in near future...

[rockstar123]

according to a billboard on the shahr-e-quadeen flyover, imtiaz supermarket is opening up in the south

[brightside.]

What do you mean, 'in the south'?

[rockstar123]

I dont know but i think its towards the sea most probably near seaview in dha or clifton

[rockstar123]

Imtiaz opened up sumwhere in phase I karachi i dont know where

[sourierservice]

korangi