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M O R E
FROM
FULL SPEED
TO FULL
STOP AND
—
That problem
with the plastic:
sustainable pack
aging is possible –
BACK
2 experts explain How the food service sector
how is coping with the crisis
—
Change calls for
courage: Andrea
Euenheim on
corporate culture
and values METRO MAGAZINE
1/2020
RY PORTR
NT A
U
IT
CO
Delivery business
with a share of
revenues of about
11 14%
BU LGARIA
wholesale
stores, 1 FSD
depot in Sofia
METRO
Bulgaria
• About
40,000
food and non-
food products
More than
2,230
400,000
customers
employees
As of April 2020
A DETAILED
PORTRAIT IS
More than 150 local farmers deliver AVAILABLE AT:
their products directly to 11 METRO COUNTRIES.
stores as part of the ‘Nurtured with METRO-
care in Bulgaria’ programme. CC.COM
MPULSE 1
TOGETHER
2 Appetizer
METRO around the world
MOVING
PEOPLE
we have come through challenging
times. Our customers have held out
through a weeks-long global stand
still. Very cautiously, mindfully and
under strict conditions, the restaurant
business is coming back into motion.
The corona crisis has made clear
to everyone – restaurateurs, guests,
suppliers and producers – just how
deserving of protection this sector is.
Life without restaurants? Unthinkable.
With a combined effort across
borders and rivalries, a whole industry
has fought jointly in recent weeks to 4 And suddenly, the whole world
has changed
preserve its diversity. Ideas and initia H ow the coronavirus is affecting
tives have been rapidly implemented. us – and how restaurateurs and
METRO are responding
What has been achieved not only by
8 Not every beginning is hard
our customers, but also by our employ
onstantinos Demirtzis gets things
K
ees and partners, is tremendous. rolling with ice cream rolls
The past few months are now a part 10 ‘The dedication of our employees
is truly boundless’
of our story. They have strengthened
A ndrea Euenheim, member of the
our resolve to continue on our course Management Board of METRO AG,
of being our customers’ partner of on the cultural change in the company
choice in all matters – because our MOVING
story is inseparable from their story GOODS
and their success is inseparable from 13 The special marketplace
ours. We are therefore now unifying facts on the online marketplace
5
from METRO
our outward and inward perspectives
14 ‘With us, restaurateurs won’t
and consolidating our magazines ever have to worry about electricity
MORE and MPULSE. Every MPULSE and gas again’
H ow GastroEnergie helps to
story is a METRO story. reduce costs
#itsaMETROstory MOVING
BOUNDARIES
16 Kitchen tools for the pros
FOR FURTHER ARTICLES,
METRO and PENTAGAST bring
high-tech to professional kitchens
PHOTOS AND 17 The battle against packaging waste
VIDEOS, GO TO What the future of waste in
food services and wholesale
WWW. could look like
MPULSE. 20 Amazing figures
DE
Fascinating facts from the
HoReCa sector
2 MPULSE
TRACEABILITY
VIA STORYTELLING Want to see how
PRO TRACE works?
METRO’s traceability solution PRO TRACE is now able to display exciting sus- Scan here.
tainability stories. This extension is the answer to the customers’ increased
demand for transparency in the supply chain. Sustainability is becoming more
relevant each day and even more companies and producers are willing to share
information on how their products are handled. PRO TRACE has already set
high standards by providing lot-based traceability information in ultra-fresh
assortments like fish and meat. The goal has always been to show the uncom-
APPETIZER
promising quality of METRO products to the customers and to do so as trans-
parently as possible. Now the videos, photos and other interesting data about
each listed product in PRO TRACE are complemented by an interactive map.
Some suppliers are already making use of the new features and setting them-
selves apart by sharing more than the required traceability information.
FINANCING BY
MOUSE CLICK
Advance payment for goods or personnel, sea-
sonal fluctuations, unplanned purchases – many
events, frequently unexpected, can quickly put
restaurant owners in financial straits. In a sector
GastroFinanz
known for high liquidity flows and low reserves,
develops
coping with such circumstances on short notice
solutions for
is often difficult. This is where METRO’s expanded
loans of up
service offerings for restaurateurs come in: the
to €100,000.
subsidiary GastroFinanz is developing industry-
specific, clearly understandable and easily
accessible financial solutions for independent
restaurant owners. In a first step, GastroFinanz
will offer credit solutions of up to €100,000 in
the coming months, with the clear objective of
assisting restaurateurs in their business success.
GastroFinanz has already acted to ensure that
application for this support will be fast, digital
and paperless.
MPULSE 3
KEEPING AN EYE
1,672 ON OUR OWN
tonnes of
CO2
FOOTPRINT
As a responsible wholesaler, METRO is always setting specific targets for sus
tainability. Since October 2018, METRO has been committed to phasing out PVC
was saved by METRO and EPS from its own-brand packaging, obtaining FSC or PEFC certification for
own brands alone from paper, cardboard and wood packaging and reducing its use of plastic packaging
2012 to 2018 through by 300 tonnes by September 2023.
reductions in packaging ‘Reduce, recycle, renew’ is the motto. All measures aim to replace conventional
materials. disposable plastics with reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives, or,
wherever possible, to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging. At all times,
METRO keeps an eye on product safety and quality. Between 2012 and 2018,
14 countries improved packaging, leading to a reduction in packaging material
of around 497 tonnes, which corresponds to 1,672 tonnes of CO2 . In the last
financial year, METRO saved an additional 172 tonnes of plastic and 75 tonnes
of cardboard and paper.
More on the subject of packaging waste in the food service and wholesale indus-
tries can be found on page 17 onwards.
Thanks to CÉMOI’s reforestation
initiative,
600,000
ENJOYING new trees have been planted
so far.
CHOCOLATE
SUSTAINABLY
With its Transparence Cacao programme, the French choc
olate manufacturer CÉMOI seeks to create traceable cocoa
production conditions that are fair for both people and nature
while also ensuring the quality of the product. Ivory Coast
has a global market share of around 40%, making it one of the
world’s leading cocoa producers. CÉMOI – a supplier for
METRO own-brand products – is involved locally in the coun-
try, running school projects and making donations to combat
child labour, among other objectives. Another important
component of the project is the fight against deforestation.
Here, alongside educational measures for small farmers – for
the more efficient utilisation of croplands, for example –
MORE ON THE
the initiative focuses on reforestation efforts. This has made
TOPIC AT:
possible the planting of 600,000 new trees thus far. METRO
welcomes CÉMOI’s commitment, as it is in harmony with the WWW.
ambitions of the wholesaler to further increase sustainability MPULSE.DE/
and transparency, including for its own-brand products. MOVING
BOUNDARIES
4 MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE
And
suddenly,
the whole
world has
changed
COVID-19 has created an unprecedented
situation for all of us – in our personal
and professional lives, whether we are
food service professionals or guests.
As a society and as individuals, we are
living through a period of uncertainty
and fear, but we are also seeing examples
of incredible solidarity and support.
And it’s these stories of hope that lift
our spirits. What have we learned from Axel Kusch
Wein Kusch, Hildesheim and Brunswick, Germany
corona? What positive stories have
arisen during this terrible time? We have Both of his wine shops were permitted to stay
open, but 80% of Axel Kusch’s customers stayed
collected a small selection of the over away. He wasn’t allowed to host the wine tasting
whelming range of responses and initia evenings he normally held 3 times a week either.
So Axel Kusch simply moved his wine tastings
tives that have sprung up in the wake of online: he now hosts themed evenings with 3 dif-
corona. And what we’ve learned is that ferent types of wine, and his customers join him
via video link – a friendly get-together that still
when we all stand together, we come up complies with the corona guidelines. ‘I don’t
with new ideas – and sometimes, we want to become an online shop; I’m just trying to
bring a bit of feeling onto the internet,’ Kusch
even surpass ourselves. says. ‘If the demand is there, I might just keep
offering these events in future.’
MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE 5
PETITION FOR A
‘CAREFUL RESTART’
Diana Strätling
Strätlingshof, Bochum, Germany
Spare ribs from a drive-through? Or even asparagus?
Unusual, maybe, but why not? ‘We pack up the food,
hang it on a rod, and pass it to the customers through
the window. Then all they have to do is warm it
up in the oven or a water bath at home,’ says Diana
Strätling, explaining her initiative ‘Wir kochen | Sie
erhitzen’ (‘We cook it | You heat it up’). Alternatively,
As an alliance partner, METRO supported the petition #restartGastro – she can make fresh meals to go, but then they need
to be eaten straight away. And of course, the hand
Perspektiven für einen achtsamen Neustart der Gastronomie
over is contactless: ‘The customers put their money
schaffen (‘Towards a careful restart of the food service industry’)
on a peel – the shovel-shaped tool we usually use to
in Germany. The goal is to help provide food service businesses
slide Flammkuchen into the oven.’ Still, though, this
with firm prospects for reopening whilst observing strict safety campaign isn’t covering the restaurant’s operating
and hygiene standards. There are also petitions for a ‘careful costs, Strätling says. ‘We’re doing this to stay in the
restart’ of restaurants, bars and cafés in other countries, such as market, to keep being part of the conversation – and
#UnoPuntoSiete in Spain or #chiusimanonfermi in Italy. to avoid sitting around doing nothing.’
HILFELOKAL
Vouchers are a quick source of liquid-
ity – but how are small, owner-operated
businesses supposed to offer them
if they don’t have an online shop? The
HilfeLokal platform is the solution –
registration is free and there are no
commission fees if business owners
sign up via the food service industry
platform DISH or the METRO Germany
website. METRO covered the registra-
tion costs and commission fees until
the end of May. An identical platform
was established in France under the
name J’aime mon commerce local.
www.hilfelokal.de
www.jaimemoncommercelocal.fr
6 MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE
CORONA-GASTRO- LIQUIKIT
HOTLINE METRO’s Hospitality
Digital unit developed
liquiKIT: a free tool that
allows food service pro-
fessionals to analyse
their cash flow and plan
their liquidity during
and after the corona
crisis. The program –
which is currently only
Where can you find assistance navigating the broad
available in Germany –
range of support schemes and solutions available?
includes budget scen
METRO employees can help, as can experienced food
ario from now until
service professionals – on the Corona-Gastro-Hotline.
2023 and also helps
They offer support for fellow food service profes-
businesses apply for
sionals who want to launch or upgrade their takeaway
loans and subsidies and
or delivery options and market their services, and
create shift rosters.
they also provide information about where to find
government schemes and solutions.
www.metro.de/service/
gastro-hotline www.liquikit.de
Dmitry Borisov
Dmytro Borisov’s Restaurant Family, Kiev
‘Right now, we feel like a start-up,’ says Dmitry
Borisov. Conventional business models aren’t
working, consumption patterns are changing.
His response: ‘We’re currently trying out sev-
eral different scenarios every day. We test dif-
ferent options for pickup and delivery, then we
evaluate the results in the evenings and draw
ONLINE ORDER BUTTON
our conclusions from there. That’s the way it’s
The DISH online ordering system allows customers to order meals for pickup
going, one day at a time.’ With strict safety rules:
or delivery even during the corona crisis. All users have to do is click to
temperature measurements for all employees,
activate the ‘Essen bestellen’ (‘Order food’) option, which is available in
filter masks, disposable gloves, disinfectants.
In addition to keeping their own restaurant 14 countries and is completely free of charge for food service professionals
afloat, the team also takes care of others: the who have created a DISH website (also free of charge).
restaurant Barsuk is additionally preparing
food donations for the local military hospital. www.dish.co
MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE 7
Frank Stauga
Altes Amtshaus, Wildeshausen, Germany
Faced with a shuttered restaurant and
a full warehouse, restaurateur Frank
Stauga refused to let the food in his
pantries go to waste. So he started
cooking – and handed out free meals
to anyone who wanted or needed one,
no questions asked. His friends at food
supply companies, bakeries and other
donors also participated in his ‘Essen
ist fertig’ (‘Dinner’s ready!’) initiative.
‘There’s a lot we can do locally; we
can support each other and help each
other out,’ Stauga says of the corona
situation. But he emphasises: ‘This all In order to support our customers
takes a great deal of effort, and the during these challenging times, we
only way we can tackle it is by working sourced 70% more pasta than usual
together.’ in March 2020.
#METROHEROES
Employees at many wholesale stores
have launched initiatives and are
pitching in to help out – in France,
for example, employees of METRO
Voglans made breakfast for hospital
employees. The team from METRO
Paris-Bercy delivered food packages
to the staff break rooms of several
local hospitals. METRO Pakistan
donated more than 500 protective
suits and 2,000 masks to the admin-
istrators at Islamabad’s Panagah so
that they could continue to provide
assistance to the homeless. And in
Frankfurt and other cities, employ-
ees of METRO Germany packed bags
with fruit, cereal bars and toiletries
for the homeless and others in need.
These are just a few examples of
employees’ involvement in initiatives
to help people in need and to thank
those who are working hard in the
medical field every day.
At this point, we would also like
to thank the METRO teams, who have
been working hard both behind the
scenes and face to face with custom-
ers and business partners since the
beginning of the crisis: in shifts, from YOU CAN FIND AN
home, in the warehouses and at the OVERVIEW OF ALL
checkouts to ensure that METRO cus- INFORMATION ON
tomers can still get what they need COVID-19 ON:
every day. WWW.
MPULSE.DE/
EN/COVID-19
8 MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE
Not every
beginning is hard
Konstantinos Demirtzis
offers individually
made ice cream rolls in
his shop. He opened his
business in 2019.
What do you need if you want to start a food service
business? A location – sure. A well-equipped kitchen –
certainly. And top-quality ingredients, because without
them, the rest doesn’t really make any sense. When the
trained biotech engineer Konstantinos Demirtzis decided
to launch Rollacosta, a shop for ice cream rolls – the
food trend from South-East Asia – METRO was his part
ner of choice.9
‘The communication was excellent right from the
start!’ he says. ‘I also got a lot of help in selecting
products. And when I needed ingredients in vol-
umes that METRO didn’t carry, they let me pur-
chase them in special amounts.’ Demirtzis doesn’t
divulge what those ingredients are, of course.
He developed the basis for his vegan ice cream –
which is also free of nuts – jointly with Marc Witz
sche, the head pastry cook at the Steigenberger
Parkhotel Düsseldorf. ‘In addition to often highly
specialised ingredients, innovative culinary con-
cepts demand flexibility in purchase quantities –
and therefore in pricing,’ explains customer
manager Markus Duhnenkamp. ‘We always adjust
our offers and terms to the specific needs of the
individual customer – right from the beginning.’
And the beginning was surprisingly uncompli-
cated. ‘The customer manager for Düsseldorf’s
old town came by, I gave him the list of the ingre-
dients I needed and he made me an offer based
on that,’ recounts Demirtzis, who has been work-
ing in the start-up scene for several years now.
‘I knew the ice cream rolls from Instagram and
Facebook – and there wasn’t anything like them
in Düsseldorf. So I thought to myself: I’ll do it!’
Upper right: Vegan and free of colouring
agents and preservatives. Rollacosta serves
its ice cream in cups made of cornflour.
Lower left: METRO Germany customer
manager Markus Duhnenkamp (left) with
Konstantinos Demirtzis in front of Rollacosta,
Düsseldorf’s first ice cream roll shop.
Along with the ice cream basis, Demirtzis uses fresh
fruit in his ice cream rolls. ‘When we buy, for example,
strawberries or other regional fruits, we of course try
to emphasise regionality,’ he says, ‘but with ingredients
like bananas and passion fruit, that isn’t possible, unfor-
tunately.’ The advantage of regionality and seasonality
is obvious to him: ‘When fruit doesn’t have to be trans-
ported a long way, it’s picked when it’s ripe, not green –
a difference you can definitely taste.’ Demirtzis does
his purchasing digitally and takes delivery from METRO
about once a week. ‘That’s the best solution for me at
the moment,’ he explains, ‘because I work all day in the
shop and don’t have time to drive to the wholesale store.
That way, I also know that I’ll get all the products I need.’
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
ROLLACOSTA AND ICE CREAM
ROLLS AS A FOOD
TREND AT: WWW.
MPULSE.DE/
MOVINGPEOPLE10 MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE
‘The dedication
of our
employees is
truly boundless’
Every company has its own these values. If our company values hierarchies and processes. Reducing
culture, its own DNA. What are too abstract or unrelatable, this complexity is an enormous chal-
makes the culture at METRO employees will be faced with imple- lenge. We are a global company, and
special? Is there even a single, menting them alone. That’s what with the necessary agility, speed and
unique METRO DNA? We are we’re working on right now, in a a lower level of complexity, we can
talking about a global company, globally networked team: making remain competitive – because these
after all. our former Guiding Principles – our things will allow us to continue offer-
internal guidelines – more tangible ing our customers highly innovative,
First, we have to take a look at for everyone. flexible solutions in future. This will
METRO’s history: from a traditional require a certain degree of risk-taking,
wholesaler to a business group that Can you give an example? decisiveness and entrepreneurial
covered retail and, for a while, even thinking from every single one of us.
niche trading, and now back to its Let’s look at customer focus: it’s
roots, but augmented with valuable highly present, applies globally and How can HR provide support
services and digital options. This is strongly embodied by our employ- in this process?
company transformation is headed in ees. But it is sometimes unclear what
the right direction, and the cultural good customer focus is, exactly, or This also starts with our company
transformation is following, albeit how it is expressed. We want to pro- values. When we define ‘entrepreneur
some way behind. We want to work vide specific examples of conduct ship’ as a company value, we want
together to promote identification here: do I understand my customer’s to encourage our employees. Our
with today’s METRO throughout the business? That’s the only way I can executives aren’t the only ones who
company. provide the right solutions. Am I should be practicing entrepreneurial
building lasting relationships? That’s thinking and acting independently,
How might this sort of company- the only way I can provide the best after all. Everyone – particularly our
wide cultural transformation service. colleagues in stores and those work-
work? ing on location with customers –
You have been Chief Human should embody these traits. Managers
We need to make our company values Resources Officer and Labour play a decisive role here, especially
tangible so that all employees can Director since late 2019. What when it comes to aspects such as
understand them – who we are, what are the particular challenges at taking responsibility or contributing
we want, what we expect from one METRO from an HR perspective? new ideas. The same applies to HR.
another. Across all borders. That will Processes need to be streamlined
need to happen if we hope to work METRO has a historical complexity if they are too complex or unclear
together to implement and embody that extends across all structures, for employees. HR also needs to be‘We want to promote
decisiveness and
entrepreneurial thinking
among everyone.’
20-04-21_PLASTIK_METRO2948_LORES_HEADLINE_NL2
Andrea Euenheim has
been Chief Human
Resources Officer and
Labour Director at
METRO AG since Novem
ber 2019. Previously,
she held a number of
management roles at
Amazon, where she had
worked since 2007.12 MPULSE MOVING PEOPLE
‘customer-focused’ – and our employ-
ees are our ‘customers’. We’re right ‘Thanks to corona, we
are now at the point
at the beginning of our transform
ation here, as well.
Another form of transformation where I’d hoped we’d
be in 2 to 3 years.’
is happening globally: corona
virus has forced many people
into quickly finding new ways
to work. What is required to
make successful use of these
new approaches to work over
the long term?
In my view, for employees who work
in areas such as administration, there
are 3 vital aspects to these new ways
of working. First, intrinsic motivation:
I take responsibility for my assigned hour-long walk during their breaks. whelming solidarity, and colleagues
tasks, regardless of where I am, and I These are the sort of things that have from different countries are sharing
think like an entrepreneur. My depart- to be scheduled into the day. their experiences during different
ment is my company. The second phases of lockdown. That way, no
element is communication: we need Will we work 100% remotely one needs to reinvent the wheel. And
to be more willing to communicate in future? Or will this all be there is so much compassion for fel-
directly and on an ad hoc basis than forgotten when corona is over? low colleagues and for our custom-
we were previously. And the third ers. The way everyone stepped up in
component applies to executives: Honestly: we are now working virtu- this situation and essentially said: we
how do I manage my team remotely? ally at a level I had hoped we would are here for you, we will make sure
The key is trust – trust in employees’ achieve in 2 to 3 years. I think it’s you can get back to business as soon
performance and certainty that wonderful how so many people are as possible, and we’ll help you look
everyone is intrinsically motivated to discovering that it’s possible to work for alternatives – it was so incredibly
work on their own assigned tasks. virtually in such a focused way. The inspiring. I think the courage and
technology is there, and now we’re solidarity our employees have shown
There are also risks inherent using it. But I wouldn’t continue to is truly boundless.
in these new ways of working: work completely remotely forever –
the line between our jobs and because I think being physically What can we learn from this
our private lives is becoming present at our company promotes challenging time?
blurred. cooperation and togetherness.
The important thing in the here and
Yes, this approach requires discipline. From what you’ve observed, now is to ask ourselves: what do I
I believe managers are responsible how have METRO teams value at this present moment? What
for teaching employees how to build handled this exceptional do I have now that I don’t want to
breaks and structure into their work. COVID-19 situation? see disappear again? If we let those
And they need to show employees things disappear in future, it will
how to not only complete their tasks, In the stores, warehouses, offices require a great deal of effort and
but how to also create a sense of and everywhere else – employees energy to bring them back. Particu-
community and care. For example, have demonstrated exactly what our larly the cooperation, the quick
some of our teams meditate together company values stand for. They are thinking, the decisiveness and
during their breaks – virtually, of all there for each other, helping out, responsibility – to our employees
course. Or they have virtual lunch improvising quickly and cutting and our customers – and the respect-
together and make a point not to straight through the red tape. But ful way we treat each other are
discuss work. And other colleagues they are also consulting closely with aspects I would not want to do with-
have even prescribed their teams an one another. There is such over- out in future.MPULSE MOVING GOODS 13
THE The top 3 reasons for retailers
to sell via online marketplaces
SPECIAL
are increased turnover, en-
hanced coverage and new
MARKET-
customer acquisition. METRO
offers interested sellers
exactly that: more turnover,
METRO marketing power and
PLACE
the benefit of the trust placed
in the METRO brand, as well
as Europe-wide expansion.
The top 3 challenges for sellers on online
marketplaces are high commissions, tough
Services that create added
competition and high dependence on the
value – like accessibility and the
operator. At METRO, we offer transparent
advising of customers – are im-
membership fees and varying commis
portant success factors for online
sion rates, depending on the sales item.
shops’ customer retention, but
In addition, retailers can cancel their
still hold potential for expansion
membership at any time without penalty
in the industry. METRO offers
and still use the services until the end of
support from a team of experts
the month.
as competent contact partners in
any situation and in comprehen
sible terms. Moreover, METRO’s
customer service is at the ready
for all incoming customer ques
tions and only contacts sellers in
case of questions that METRO
itself can’t answer.
Many sellers take a critical view of online
marketplaces, because they’re afraid of
losing their independence. At METRO, we
meet our seller community at eye level.
For example, retailers can determine their
Only 43% of online retailers base their own (quantity) discounts and increase their
customer analysis on a CRM system for profits, look after shipping themselves
the analysis of customer types and target and in doing so can reach new well-funded
groups.1 METRO differs from other large customers all over Europe – always backed
online marketplaces due to its targeted by METRO’s wide coverage and marketing
segmentation and customer journey power, as well as customers’ trust in the
analyses, and it consistently orients the brand.
company to B2B customers.
MORE ABOUT THE WWW.
METRO MARKET- MPULSE.DE/
PLACE AT: MOVING
BOUNDARIES
Source: (1) DHL in cooperation with IFH Köln (2018): ‘Onlinehändler im Spannungsfeld von Wachstum und Marktkonzentration: Potenziale zur Nutzung von Onlinemarktplätzen
und Strategien zum Erhalt von Unabhängigkeit’, quoted according to de.statista.com, https://bit.ly/3c761US, 8 April 2020, 3.00 p.m.14 MPULSE MOVING GOODS
‘With us, restaurateurs
won’t ever have to
worry about electricity
and gas again’
At over 5% the amount of total sales, expenses for energy are one of the biggest cost drivers
in the food service industry – and have a great deal of unutilised savings potential. But most
restaurant operators don’t have the time to examine their bills and compare suppliers. As
a partner of food service professionals, METRO has identified high energy costs as one of its
customers’ pain points. And it is presenting a solution: GastroEnergie. Andreas Traumann,
responsible for SME Services at METRO AG, reveals to us how easy this will make it for res-
taurateurs to reduce their energy costs.
GastroEnergie was developed in the
area of METRO AG’s SME Services.
What exactly is behind it?
As a wholesaler, we’ve been providing
our customers with food and non-food
products for a long time now. But we
also know that the provision of these
products is only a small part of what
independent restaurateurs need in order
to run their businesses successfully. So,
in the framework of the Wholesale 360
strategy, we’re developing into a holistic
solution provider that doesn’t just fill
restaurant kitchens with food, but also
offers services and solutions – for ex-
ample in the areas of financing, commer
cial kitchen equipment and, in this case,
energy – which relieve the everyday work
lives of our customers.
What sets GastroEnergie apart
from established comparison
portals?
A whole lot! Portals like those generally
only offer a simple tariff change. That
can quickly trap you into a subscription
and make you have to deal with every-
thing yourself – such as catching mid-year
price increases, observing cancellation
periods and so on. I also haven’t yet found
a portal that checks my bill for mistakes
and demands, in my name, payment of
money I’m entitled to from the energy
supplier.MPULSE MOVING GOODS 15
And GastroEnergie does that?
Oh, yes – and even more! This begins with
a precise analysis of the existing con
tracts by our partner EasyVU, the detec
tion of billing mistakes, a comparison of
suppliers and tariffs and the changeover
of the metering and invoicing procedures.
If the customer agrees to the non-binding
offer, which includes an indication of
concrete savings possibilities, EasyVU
takes on, as desired, the entire adminis
trative processing in the name of the
customer, keeps track of cancellation
periods, alerts the customer to mid-year
rate increases and carries out the cost
check again each year. For our HoReCa
customers, the service provided by
GastroEnergie isn’t just completely free
of charge – it also means that you the
oretically won’t ever have to worry about
electricity and gas again, because you’ve
got someone at your side to take over
this thankless work for you. The customer
doesn’t have to send us all of their bills
and contracts – the last invoice from
the energy supplier is sufficient. It can
be submitted to us easily via WhatsApp
(02103 9780949), e-mail (check@
roka.energy) or the landing page at
www.metro.de/service/gastro-energie.
How much savings potential can be
found in a restaurant’s energy costs?
During our pilot run in Berlin, we were
able to generate savings of 20% on aver
age. Depending on the size of the busi
ness, that can mean a few thousand euros
annually and equate to about 1% of rev
enue. Most customers are caught in When the checks are carried
the high tariffs of the default supplier – out by the partner company,
and rate increases of around 30% are what does METRO get out of it? By the way …
expected by 2025. Due to a lack of time
as well as expertise, this subject is often For each contract concluded, we get … along with offering the
neglected. And it should be said that, as a small share of the commission. But
option of ‘green’ energy, we
a layperson, it is in fact very difficult to what’s much more important is that
collaborate with the organ
make sense of the jungle of suppliers and GastroEnergie helps us to fulfil our
isation Plant-for-the-Planet
tariffs, or even to understand your own promise of being a partner to the food
electricity bill. Like other consumers, service industry – in all matters. Our
to plant a tree for every con-
not many restaurateurs know what EEG business success is inseparably linked tract concluded.
surcharge, offshore, KWKG or concession to that of our customers. And when
levy means. they save money and time thanks to
our solution, we automatically benefit
So, how objective can the re- from it.
commendation of a new energy
supplier be?
The service is financed through commis
sions from the suppliers – but the level of
these is about the same for all of them,
so the customer can be sure that, through MORE ON THE
GastroEnergie, we’re always recommend TOPIC AT: WWW.
ing the best possible tariff for their MPULSE.DE/
consumption. MOVING
GOODS16 MPULSE MOVING BOUNDARIES
KITCHEN
TOOLS FOR
THE
Steaming, baking, grilling,
braising, blanching, poaching –
a chef has all these cooking
skills off pat. However, if all
these techniques have to be
PROS
applied with extreme precision
to multiple dishes at the same
time, even the greatest chefs
will quickly reach their limits,
especially if they don’t have
the kitchen staff they need.
But technology can provide
additional support here: combi A combi steamer is a convection oven and steamer in one. It let’s a chef
steamers, which combine mul make a roast, crispy baked potatoes, grilled Mediterranean vegetables and
tiple cooking methods in a single a moist chocolate cake all at the same time – without mixing their flavours.
Its customisable recipe settings make it ideal for any food service con-
appliance, can prepare different cept: from canteens to Michelin-starred restaurants, from village pubs
dishes at the same time. to trendy cafés. Chefs who make no compromises when it comes to the
flavour of their dishes should consider acquiring one of these appliances.
The food specialist METRO and the technology experts at PENTAGAST
launched in September 2019 a partnership with the goal of giving food
service professionals access to cutting-edge kitchen technology, which
can cost thousands of euros. The part-
nership provides restaurateurs with
appliances – including appliances from
RATIONAL – at discounted prices.
The combi steamer from RATIONAL is
available in a range of sizes and with
a variety of different features, including
an extensive selection of cooking set-
tings, a self-cleaning function and the
option to digitally network multiple
appliances.
No need to worry that the culinary arts
will be short-changed here, however;
whilst the individual components of
a dish – such as meat or vegetables –
reach the perfect level of firmness or
browning in the combi steamer, chefs
can focus on the things that make the
dish their own.MPULSE MOVING BOUNDARIES 17
The global problem of waste is above all
a problem of plastic. Bernd Günter of the
association geht ohne (‘Doing without’),
a group of environmental experts from
Berlin and Hamburg, cites current market
data from PlasticsEurope: ‘Of the 60 mil-
lion tonnes of plastic produced annually
in the EU alone, almost 40% is packaging
material.’ For METRO as a wholesaler, deal-
ing with this topic is especially import
ant. On the one hand, packaging serves
to both protect products and provide
information to customers. On the other,
it constitutes an environmental burden.
But would (wholesale) trade even be pos-
sible without packaging waste? Günter’s
unequivocal answer: ‘No.’
Wholesale without packaging
waste? An illusion.
‘And that isn’t something that we at
geht ohne even advocate,’ explains
Günter, a co-founder of the association
that advises companies and organisa-
tions in areas including plastic manage-
ment. ‘We suggest first reducing the
use of conventional plastic wherever
possible.’ Experimenting with packaging
alternatives derived from paper, cellu-
lose, wood, glass or sugar cane makes
A total of 18.7 million tonnes of packaging waste just as much sense, he says, as the further
testing of diversified concepts in reuse,
was produced by Germany alone in 2017, according deposit and reward systems.
to the German Environment Agency. That amounts
to 230 kilograms per person. The issue has world And what if waste cannot be avoided?
‘Then systematic attention should go to
wide relevance, as a comprehensive METRO cus- recyclable materials, their collection and
tomer survey on the topic of sustainability attests. their reuse,’ Günter advises. ‘Our associ
The results show that avoiding packaging waste ation shares the perspective of German
poses a challenge to restaurateurs, hoteliers and legislation, which has set down a simple,
clear order in packaging regulations:
caterers alike – as well as to METRO. But where is first avoid, then reduce, then reuse, then
this taking us? MPULSE talked with 2 experts. recycle.’18 MPULSE MOVING BOUNDARIES Sustainable packaging policy at METRO This is the approach at METRO, too, where the motto is ‘Reduce, recycle, renew’. For example, on the customers’ side, METRO Germany has been offering only reusable bags since 2017. Other METRO countries, including some outside the EU, have followed this example. In 2018, METRO signed the global commit- ment to the Ellen MacArthur Founda- tion’s ‘New Plastics Economy’, joining with more than 250 other companies and institutions around the world to contrib- ute to reducing plastic waste and plastic pollution. Prior to this, METRO had already set itself the goal of reducing its own global plastic footprint by 2025. In concrete terms, this means replacing conventional single-use plastics with reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives and promoting the transition to closed-loop plastics management. This includes the optimisation of plastic packaging in the own-brand area. From the beginning of 2012 until the end of September 2018, material savings of almost 497 tonnes were achieved. By September 2023, METRO intends to save another 300 tonnes of plastic packaging overall. Shorter trade routes, more multi-use Shia Su, author of the book ‘Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash’, likewise sees entirely ridding the wholesale trade of packaging waste as unrealistic – at least for now. ‘Of course, the best waste is no waste,’ says the 36-year-old from Cologne, who also writes a zero-waste blog. However, she adds that our current eco- nomic system is still too far from a sus- tainable circular economy to be able to do without packaging. But: ‘A great deal of waste can be avoided.’ For example, wholesalers could make a commitment to large multi-use containers or cool boxes in standardised sizes. Su, who herself has lived nearly waste-free since 2014, advises: ‘The best packaging is multi-use packaging.’ Another valuable factor in the avoidance of waste is regional struc- tures with short delivery routes, she says.
MPULSE MOVING BOUNDARIES
An example from METRO Germany
shows that this is indeed possible
in wholesale as well: Through co-
operation with local suppliers, the
German wholesale stores have managed
to reduce plastic packaging for herbs
and spices by 120 tonnes since 2018.
Günter, too, recommends more multi-
use. ‘Especially in wholesale contexts
such as at METRO, it’s worth it to imple-
ment industrial multi-use systems at a
large scale,’ he says. The manufacturers
Change is the keyword for Günter, too.
and all actors in the essential supply
‘If we want to avoid packaging waste,
chains should be integrated. And res-
corporate culture has to change,’ he says.
taurateurs can also take on an active
To start, it is worth taking stock, he
role in battling the problem of packag-
suggests. ‘What are my purchasing and
ing waste.
warehousing practices, how am I hand
ling food leftovers and biodegradable
Dare to be a pioneer!
waste, plastic and paper consumption,
used oil and wastewater?’ – these are
The tips from Shia Su: give out drinking
all important questions that can lead to
straws only on request – or better yet,
meaningful, sustainable measures, he
switch to dishwasher-safe reusable
emphasises. At home as well. They have
straws even before regulations in this
to be implemented step by step, Günter
area take effect. Use sugar shakers
explains: ‘Think of the zero-waste phil
instead of small sugar packets. Or offer
osophy. It’s not about being perfect –
milk on request rather than laying out
it’s about steadily improving.’
packaged coffee creamer. ‘But even
more importantly, restaurant owners
should encourage customers to bring
their own takeaway containers with
BERND GÜNTER OF
them, because a lot of guests just don’t
GEHT OHNE E. V. SPEAKS
yet have the courage to ask,’ says Su.
WITH US ABOUT ISSUES
These are small things, but one has
SUCH AS HOW AND WHY
to dare to do them, she explains from
WE CAN CHANGE OUR
her own experience: ‘Change takes
PLASTIC CONSUMPTION.
courage and pioneers.’
SEE THE INTERVIEW
NOW AT:
WWW.
MPULSE.DE/
MOVING
BOUNDARIESAMAZING FIGURES
FROM THE HORECA SECTOR
80,000
METRO IS THE PROUD EMPLOYER OF
17 MILLION
There were an estimated
17 million hotel rooms world-
wide in 2018.2 Of the total
AROUND 100,000 PEOPLE IN 34 COUNTRIES sales in the hotel segment,
WORLDWIDE – 80,000 OF WHOM RUN 69% was generated online.
In 2023, this figure is
THE DAILY BUSINESS IN OUR STORES. 5 expected to be 76%.
281 ,014
20
With 281,014 enterprises,
Spain records the most food
service industry companies
among European countries.
Switzerland, however, has
the highest average sales
per restaurant. 3
FRONT RUNNERS IN THE
RESTAURANT BUSINESS
France, Germany,
Italy and Spain record
the highest food service
sales in Europe –
after first-place
United Kingdom.1
Sec.
Source: (1) Statistical office of the
European Union (Eurostat), Statista 2019 Our online reservation tool hits
(analysis for the year 2017), (2) STR,
published by hotelnewsnow.com/ 1 million table reservations.
Statista Research Department 2019; Just 2 years after the launch,
and Hotels – weltweit, Statista, https://de.
statista.com/outlook/267/100/hotels/ it generates a reservation every
weltweit (last visited 20 April 2020),
(3) Statistical office of the Europ ean 20 seconds on average at one
Union (Eurostat), Statista 2019, (4) As of: of the participating restaurants
February 2020, (5) Employee figures
Q1 2019/20. in 14 METRO countries. 4HAVE YOU
TRIED …?
Bella Italia right on your plate: the extra native olive oil from
METRO Premium is a purely Italian product – it comes from
olives that are planted, picked and processed in Italy. What
makes this olive oil so special? No filtration is employed in
its processing. This ensures its authentic, cloudy appearance
and its fresh flavour.
METRO Premium olive oil is perfect for hot summer days –
whether as a healthy salad dressing or for grilled vegetables
and meat. Buon appetito!
METRO Premium olive oil
IMPRINT Corporate Communications Graphic design Photography
T +49 211 6886-4252 Strichpunkt GmbH Urban Zintel: pp.8–9, 16–19
F +49 211 6886-2001 Sophienstraße 6 Henning Ross: p. 11
presse@metro.de 10178 Berlin, Germany
Publisher Illustration
METRO AG Project lead, Editorial support and André Gottschalk:
Metro-Straße 1 concept and editorial realisation cover, p. 1, pp.4–7
40235 Düsseldorf, Germany (same address as publisher) Ketchum GmbH Martina Paukova: pp. 14–15
PO box 230361 Elisabeth Hesse Bahnstraße 2 Holly Wales: p. 21
40089 Düsseldorf, Germany Katharina Meisel 40212 Düsseldorf, Germany Strichpunkt GmbH
Sophienstraße 6
METRO on the internet Project management Printing 10178 Berlin, Germany
www.metroag.de Eva-Maria Eiselt-Spaan Druckstudio GmbH
Kim Franziska Lübke Professor-Oehler-Straße 10 Photo credits
40589 Düsseldorf, Germany METRO AG
Disclaimer
METRO AG makes every reasonable effort to provide correct and complete information in this magazine and to not infringe third-party
trademark rights. METRO AG cannot accept any liability or vouch for providing information that is up to date, correct and complete in this
magazine. In particular, the user is not granted rights of any kind to company names and other industrial property rights held by METRO AG
or its associated companies without the express permission of METRO AG. The reproduction or use of graphics or texts created by METRO AG
is not allowed without the expressed permission of METRO AG. METRO AG remains the holder of the copyright to such content. Any use of
the industrial property rights held by METRO AG or its associated companies for which approval has not been granted or which abuses the
owner’s rights represents a violation of proprietary rights and/or an infringement of fair competition.
You will find a digital version of the METRO magazine MPULSE at:
www.mpulse.de/en/downloads. If you would like to receive the
magazine as a print publication, please contact: mpulse@metro.de.DID YOU
KNOW?
Useless knowledge from
the world of food
FOR
FURTHER,
VIDEOS
ARTICLES,
VIDEOS AND
PHOTOS,
GO TO
Lemons float in water,
but limes sink.
WWW.
Source: https://sciodoo.de/warum-schwimmen-limetten-unten-und-zitronen-oben
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