Düsseldorf. The Metro wholesaler is lifting the restriction for traders with customer cards in some markets. This means that everyone can shop in these markets. The measure is initially limited to January 31, 2021. It is due to regulations with the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The 23 markets are all in these two federal states. Specifically, these are the Metro wholesale stores in
- Dortmund-Center (NRW)
- Dortmund-Oespel (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Duisburg (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Düsseldorf (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Essen (NRW)
- Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Krefeld (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Leverkusen (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Mülheim (Ruhr) (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Neuss (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Porta Westfalica (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Recklinghausen (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Sankt Augustin (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Schwelm (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Siegen and (NRW)
- Würselen (North Rhine-Westphalia)
as well as the Metro gastro markets in
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- Düren (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Iserlohn (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Wolgast (MV)
- Greifswald (MV)
- Wismar (MV)
- Neustrelitz (MV)
- Goods (MV)
However, there is one restriction: Due to the amended Corona Protection Ordinance in North Rhine-Westphalia, the wholesale markets in this state are only allowed to sell food to customers without a Metro customer card. The entire non-food area, such as cooking utensils, cleaning agents or even printer paper, is not available to non-traders. This is to rule out that Metro benefits from the fact that other retail stores are closed.
Metro break away from gastro customers
Metro advertises that the large sales areas and the wide range enable safe shopping in the Corona crisis. With the opening of the markets for everyone, Metro is helping to equalize the flow of customers. But the wholesale market itself should also benefit. Because Metro normally makes a large part of its sales with customers from the catering trade, who are currently breaking away due to the lockdown.
Restaurateurs react annoyed
In the first lockdown phase in spring, Metro had opened its stores in North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to end customers. Many traders are not enthusiastic about the regulation. They expect empty shelves and full registers in the Metro markets, just like in spring. A restaurateur writes on Facebook: “Great idea ….. just let everyone in, who empty everything and the restaurateur who tries to stay alive doesn’t get the goods he needs to survive his shop.” Another writes: “And then you stand at the checkout through the whole store, and you get excited.”
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