Economy
by Enrico Netti
It will be the third wholesale outlet on the island to support tourism growth. Next year also opening in Pisa
2′ reading
The next Metro Italia wholesale point of sale will be built in Olbia in the industrial area, which will be added to those in Cagliari and Sassari. The inauguration is scheduled for spring 2025 and the investment aims to intercept the greater volumes of tourism and Ho.Re.Ca sector which drives the island’s economy. Among the new features of the new store are the services that will be of a higher level both to manage the greater volumes of goods and to increase productivity. The point of sale will offer a higher level service also from a multi-channel perspective with the possibility for customers to choose between physical purchases in Cash&Carry, direct delivery service to catering businesses and the purchase of non-food products on mercato online, the marketplace that offers over 100 thousand gastronomy items. «I am very happy to announce the opening of the third Metro Italia point of sale in Sardinia, because it confirms the company’s desire to invest in an area that has always represented one of the jewels of tourism in Italy. The Costa Smeralda and the entire North-East of the island present high potential for a reality like ours and we want to make the most of it by getting even closer to Horeca professionals” underlines Luca Guerrieri, Sales Director of Metro Italia. An important piece of the investment program in the Sardinian territory. Territory where Metro’s turnover grew by +8% in 2022-2023 compared to 2021-2022. With the opening of the new store, Sardinia will become the region in Central-Southern Italy with the most stores after Lazio. Sardinia is strategic for Metro due to the centrality of the tourism and hospitality sector for the economy of the entire region. According to a recent survey carried out by the University of Sassari (Department of Economic and Business Sciences) and supported by Confcommercio Sardegna, work in the bars and restaurants of the island recorded an increase of +5% in 2023 compared to 2019, equal to +27 thousand people employed in the sector. In addition to the performance of the restaurant and hospitality economy, Sardinia is an important region for Metro also in terms of valorising local products. At a national level, the company offers more than 7 thousand local products, of which approximately 1,200 are Sardinian. To guarantee a wide range of regional excellences, the brand collaborates with 95 Sardinian companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, which supply numerous products such as wine, cheeses, cured meats, fruit and vegetables and fish.
The announcement of the investment in Sardinia comes a few weeks after that relating to a new 9,000 square meter logistics platform which will be operational in Spring 2025 in Pontedera (Pisa). A structure entirely dedicated to food service distribution.
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