METRO GROUP’s corporate structure is characterised by a clear division of responsibilities. The Company is headed by METRO AG. As a central management holding company, it oversees Group management functions, including, in particular, Finance, Controlling, Legal and Compliance. In addition, METRO AG oversees the management and administrative functions of METRO Cash & Carry, which we reorganised during the reporting year. The 2 previous business units “Europe/MENA” and “Asia/CIS/New Markets” have been brought together ef­fective 1 April 2012. Since then METRO Cash & Carry has been managed by a single General Management with global responsibility.

The Group’s operational business is handled by our 4 sales lines. With the exception of METRO Cash & Carry, they have their own management organisations and head offices. In some cases, the sales lines operate in the market with several sales brands or through subsidiaries, depending on the respective strategy, segment and specific competitive environment. The Group’s cash & carry business is bundled in METRO Cash & Carry, hypermarkets in Real, consumer electronics retailing in Media-Saturn and department stores in Galeria Kaufhof. All sales lines have undivided responsibility for their entire supply chain – from procurement through logistics to stationary and online sales.

We have bundled our real estate capabilities, structures and functions in a company called METRO PROPERTIES, which oversees our Company’s real estate portfolio in 29 countries. This company continues to act as an independent profit centre and is shown as a separate segment.

Service companies support all METRO GROUP sales lines with services in such areas as procurement, information technology and logistics. Together with METRO AG as a strategic management holding company, they are recognised under “Others”.

Overview of METRO GROUP

 

METRO Cash & Carry is a leading international player in self-service wholesale. Its brands METRO and MAKRO operate in 29 countries throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. The wholesale stores offer products and services tailored to the specific needs of professional customers, such as hotels and restaurants, catering firms, independent retailers, service providers and public authorities.

Real is one of the leading hypermarket operators in Germany, where it runs both stationary stores and an online store. In addition, the sales line has locations in Turkey. METRO GROUP plans to divest of the sales line’s Eastern European business in 2013. An agreement to this effect was signed in 2012 with the French Auchan retail group. All Real stores are characterised by a large proportion of high-quality fresh produce, a wide range of nonfood articles and attractive prices offering good value for money.

Media-Saturn is Europe’s No. 1 in consumer electronics retailing. The sales line is represented in 16 different countries through its Media Markt and Saturn sales brands. In nearly all markets, the stationary business is closely dovetailed with the online offering. The pure play online retailer Redcoon, which is also part of Media-Saturn, sells its products in 10 countries. A decentralised organisational structure, attractive offers, dedicated employees and innovative marketing all contribute to the success of the sales line.

Galeria Kaufhof is one of Europe’s leading department store operators. In Germany, the sales line is active under the Galeria Kaufhof name, in Belgium it uses the name Galeria Inno. Its stores are characterised by high-performance assortments with international brands and top-quality own brands as well as an event-orientated product presentation that provides for a special customer experience. Galeria Kaufhof is positioned as a modern retail brand with an unmistakable profile.

Real Estate: METRO PROPERTIES is METRO GROUP’s real estate company. The company’s aim is to add long-term value to METRO GROUP’s portfolio of real estate assets through active portfolio management. Aside from investing activities, its services include the development, construction and management of retail properties. In addition, METRO PROPERTIES handles energy management for all METRO GROUP locations.