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Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan

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Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan
Company typeUnlisted public company
IndustryRetail
Founded2006; 18 years ago (2006)
HeadquartersLahore, Pakistan
Number of locations
10 (2024)
Area served
Pakistan
Key people
Marek Minkiewicz (CEO)
Products
  • Electronics
  • movies and music
  • home and furniture
  • home improvement
  • clothing
  • footwear
  • jewelry
  • toys
  • health and beauty
  • pet supplies
  • sporting goods and fitness
  • auto
  • photo finishing
  • craft supplies
  • party supplies
  • grocery
ParentMetro Cash & Carry
Thal Limited
Websitemetro.pk

Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan, also known as Metro-Habib, formerly known as Makro Habib Pakistan, is a Pakistani supermarket chain stores operator based in Lahore, Pakistan.[1] It is a subsidiary of German chain Metro Cash & Carry and Thal Limited.

Metro opened its first store in 2007.[2] It operates 10 supermarkets, in total, in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Multan.[3]

History[edit]

Makro Habib Pakistan was established in 2005 as a joint venture between the Dutch wholesale giant Makro and the Pakistani conglomerate House of Habib.[4] The company began its operations by opening its first store in SITE Industrial Area Karachi in 2006.[5]

In 2006, Makro-Habib began construction of a store in Saddar Town after obtaining a sublease from the Army Welfare Trust (AWT) on a playground called Webb Ground, a five-acre playing field located in Tunisia Lines and named after Sir Montagu de Pomeroy Webb.[6][7] Webb Ground was originally leased to AWT for commercial purposes in December 2002.[6][8] Before the construction of the store, Webb Ground had been utilized as a sports field by Karachi Grammar School for nearly 80 years.[6] In the mid-1980s, it was incorporated into the Lines Area Redevelopment Scheme and served as a neighborhood playground for approximately 200,000 residents.[6][9] The project was halted by the court in 2009 when the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that Makro-Habib must dismantle its structures on the playfield.[10] The judgment revealed complex dealings involving the Government of Pakistan, the Army Welfare Trust (AWT), and the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).[11] The court found that the government had transferred the plot to CDGK for amenity purposes before AWT subleased it to Makro-Habib.[11] Despite being aware of CDGK's prior claim to the land, Makro-Habib proceeded with construction.[11] The court criticized the lease arrangements as undervalued and not in public or governmental interest.[11] The filed a review petition and obtained an interim order maintaining the status quo until the petition's resolution.[11] The review petition was ultimately dismissed by the court in 2015 and subsequently the store was permanently closed.[12]

In 2007, Makro's plan to open a store in Model Town, Lahore, was halted by a court injunction when Justice Muzammal Ahmad Khan of the Lahore High Court stayed the construction of store following writ petitions challenging the conversion of an amenity plot into a department store.[13] The petitioners cited a prior ruling that prohibited converting the plot to commercial use without modifying the society's master plan.[13] In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency of Punjab approved the area for store construction, and the store was opened in Model Town in 2009.[14][15]

In October 2007, Metro Cash and Carry expanded into Pakistan, opening its first wholesale center in Lahore.[16][17] Six month later, Metro opened another business-to-business store in Islamabad.[18]

In 2008, Makro-Habib store was opened near Star Gate on Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi.[19] In the same year, the Dutch parent company exited the Pakistan and sold its entire stake to House of Habib.[5]

By 2009, Metro Cash and Carry changed its business model from business-to-business to hybrid model where small consumers can also purchase products.[18] In 2010, Metro introduced the own brands concept in Pakistan, allowing small businesses to feature their products in Metro Cash and Carry stores nationwide.[20] The initiative showcased five core brands across two price tiers, with packaging designed by Metro.[20] In 2011, Makro and Metro Cash & Carry merged their operations in Pakistan.[21] In 2011, at the time of their merger, Metro Cash and Carry was operating five wholesale outlets in Pakistan: two in Lahore, and one each in Karachi, Islamabad, and Faisalabad, having started its operations in 2007.[4] Makro Habib Pakistan also had five stores, with three in Karachi and two in Lahore.[4]

In 2015, a new Metro store was opened in Faisalabad, Punjab. Two years later, it was named as the best place to work in Pakistan.[22]

In 2020, Metro expanded further with opening of a new store in Multan, Punjab.[23][24]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Metro Cash & Carry, Pakistan by S. A. Butt, Farooq Sajjad Alam, Taimoor Tariq Butt :: SSRN".
  2. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's (August 29, 2013). "Metro Habib to open 30 more stores". DAWN.COM.
  3. ^ "Metro, Makro Pakistan combine their businesses". The Nation. July 14, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Zaheer, Farhan (July 14, 2011). "Retail consolidation: Makro and Metro in merger talks". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  5. ^ a b Tasleem, Nauman (September 16, 2010). "A place to shop for everything, but only for a few". The Express Tribune.
  6. ^ a b c d Cowasjee, Ardeshir (July 15, 2007). "Webb Ground". DAWN.COM.
  7. ^ "A plea to the Lord Chief Justice". DAWN.COM. June 14, 2009.
  8. ^ "`Author of its own woes...`". DAWN.COM. December 27, 2009.
  9. ^ "The deprived have been heard". DAWN.COM. July 5, 2009.
  10. ^ "SC orders Makro to vacate playground". DAWN.COM. December 19, 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d e "'Makro' management". The Express Tribune. April 25, 2010.
  12. ^ Malik, Hasnaat (August 27, 2015). "Land dispute: SC rejects review plea over Army Welfare Trust, Makro-Habib". The Express Tribune.
  13. ^ a b "LHC stays Makro store construction". DAWN. 29 May 2007.
  14. ^ "Makro gets go-ahead nod". The Nation. August 21, 2008.
  15. ^ "Makro organises family extravaganza". Brecorder. March 27, 2011.
  16. ^ "Metro Cash, Carry to open first wholesale centre today". Brecorder. October 30, 2007.
  17. ^ "Business-to-business: Metro's business model shields it from competition". The Express Tribune. August 2, 2013.
  18. ^ a b Nizami, Babar (January 10, 2017). "Hoooold... Hoooooooold..... Now!!". Profit by Pakistan Today.
  19. ^ "Makro-Habib branch opened near Star Gate". Brecorder. January 11, 2008.
  20. ^ a b "Providing opportunities: Metro's 'Own Brands' helps promote local products". The Express Tribune. April 5, 2013.
  21. ^ "Administrative control: Metro Cash and Carry to take over Makro in January". The Express Tribune. October 25, 2011.
  22. ^ "METRO Cash & Carry ranked as the 'Best Place to Work' in Pakistan". The News International. November 16, 2017.
  23. ^ "Metro expands its business footprints in Multan". Brecorder. November 4, 2020.
  24. ^ "Metro to increase investment in Punjab". The Express Tribune. February 11, 2019.
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