The second Business to Business (B2B) store of Vijayawada, Metro Cash and Carry, will open on Friday, throwing some options to retailers in around the city to lay their hands on a variety of products to improve their business. Some initial enthusiasm has been generated with the multi-brand Metro store opening its facility in the heart of the city in Nimmathota.
Parking facility
Taking mediapersons around the store on Thursday, its Corporate Relations head Vishal Sehgal said it was a unique two-tier shop with parking facility for 190 cars and 200 two-wheelers. Some special associates of the Metro and invited guests were allowed to shop.
At 6 a.m. on Friday, the store would be ready with a variety of branded material in every conceivable category stacked with some special bundle offers for the initial launch period.
Built on a sprawling three-acre land at a cost of Rs. 80 crore, the store has more than 10,000 items, with 1,800 to 2,000 of own brand products in three different price bands based on the quality of the product.
Metro, with seven cold storages (temperature ranging from minus 27 degree to plus 12 degree) offers some of the exotic vegetables and seafood products, in addition to a host of milk products.
“While encouraging local brands and products, we have some of the best in the world on the shelf, giving the buyer a choice of quality at the right price,” he added.
The company is setting up collection centres in the coastal areas and it has located one each at Vontimamidi near Hyderabad, Malur in Karnataka, Malerkotla in Punjab, Manchar in Maharashtra, and Barasat in West Bengal. The potential of agricultural and aquaculture products in and around Vijayawada was very high and they would be procured locally in course of time.
But quality at the time of collection would be ensured, he added.
Metro’s Corporate Communications senior manager Jyotsna Murthy was present during the media visit to the facility. To attract customers, it was offering subsidised home delivery, free packing of goods bought, and trying out different display environment. Registration of members was in progress, she said.
