Information on Metro
Founded in 1947, Metro Inc. is a Canadian food retailer operating in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The company is based in Montreal, Quebec with head office at 11011 Boulevard Maurice-Duplessis. Metro is the third largest grocer in Canada, after Loblaw Companies Limited and Sobeys.
Metro holds the second largest market share in the food distribution and retailing business in Quebec and Ontario with nearly $11 billion in sales and more than 65,000 employees. Its stores operate under the banners Metro, Metro Plus, Super C, Food Basics, Marché Ami, Les 5 Saisons and Marché Adonis. Its pharmacies operate under the banners Brunet, The Pharmacy, Clini-Plus, and Drug Basics.
There are 365 namesake locations in Ontario and Quebec. Super C is the discount supermarket division operated in Quebec with 72 stores, averaging 4,000 m2 (43,056 sq ft). These stores contribute to C$1 billion of Metro’s annual sales. In Ontario, Metro has 119 discount supermarkets under the Food Basics banner, which are very similar to the Super C stores. Large Metro stores in Quebec operate under the Metro Plus name. Metro also operates 142 small groceries under the Marché Richelieu banner.
If you are a supplier who would like to initiate a potential business relationship with Metro, please contact the buyer listed for the commodity group that fits your product or venture. All final purchasing decisions are made by the authorized purchasing agent in the SpartanNash corporate offices.
This company has a reputation for quality products and customer-friendly prices and its procurement standards are quite high. To get your products noticed by this retailer, you need to get on the RangeMe platform as the buyers of the company use the platform to source new products. You can create a free profile to get started. The platform works by getting you connected to potential buyers who would see the range of products you have on your supply dash.
In February 2017, METRO adopted a Responsible Procurement Framework and Supplier Code of Conduct. These documents enable METRO to provide its customers with the responsible products they are looking for and to communicate its expectations and requirements to better meet the challenges in its supply chain. They are the foundation of our responsible procurement approach. These documents can be downloaded easily via the company’s website.
People have peculiarities and these need to be addressed differently. Each customer has to be connected to separately. This means, the supermarkets try to address the needs and interests of individual customers. This is by offering local, international, and metropolitan products. Thus, as a vendor, you should be looking at getting varieties to the retailer.
As a vendor, get yourself a unique selling point – this is what sets you apart from others. Look at your products and see what you are offering differently. If not different, go back to the drawing board and see how you can rebrand or bring out a distinction. Distinctiveness can help you carve a niche for yourself in the marketplace.
Submit Your Product to Metro Foods
Skip the cold outreach. Mr. Checkout presents products to corporate chain buyers and also works a network of thousands of independent retailers that build real reorder proof. Tell us about your product below and a real person will read it.
How to get your product into Metro
- Understand you client: Before you spend a lot of time and money creating a product, you should know if anyone will want to buy it. Learn more about Market Research
- Learn if it’s protectable: Know if you can defend your product against cheap copies if it gets knocked off. Learn more about Copyright and Patent your product
- Test your product: Make sure that there’s a demand for your product and the customer understands what you are selling when it’s on the shelf and nobody is there to explain it. Learn more about Product Testing
- Perfect your pitch: Before you speak to decision makers, know your numbers, know your retailer and know your logistics in and out. Learn more about Pitching Your Product
- Don’t do it alone: If you haven’t been successful in retail before, a secret of success is that you can’t do it alone. Having great sales staff, customer support and marketing partners can take you from zero to success faster than if you tried on your own. Learn more about Retail Partnerships
Contact Metro Buyer
Do not trust any “list” of buyers.
Typically retail buyers change either companies or positions every few years. This strategy helps retailers know that their buyers are not taking “kick-backs” and are selecting the very best product for the very best position each time.
Buyers are typically held to a very rigorous standard of sell-through volume that they must hit and because of this they are risk averse. Your job as a supplier or vendor is to convince them that the buyers going into the stores not only know about what you’re selling but are actively seeking the product in the store currently.
How to Submit a Product to Metro
There are several ways to get a product placed in Metro. However, most entrepreneurs only dream about getting their product distributed to major retailers, few actually do it. We have experienced a significant rise in interest since the show Shark Tank started airing on NBC. Mr. Checkout has had the pleasure of working with a few Shark Tank success stories such as KISStixx and 180 Party Cups which are now currently being distributed around the country to stores like Walmart, Target, Kroger, 7-Eleven and more.
If you envision your product would be a good fit for Metro, we have a few steps to help you get your product on their shelves.
Here are the 6 steps you need to take to have your product placed in Metro.
1. Start with the right questions.) Before you try distributing your product to Metro, you need to ask yourself a few basic questions. Do you need to build demand for your product, or is there already a demand for it? Do you know that Metro would be interested in selling your product? If you can strike a deal with Metro can you handle the production volume? Do you want to sell directly to Metro, or do you want to license your product to a manufacturer that will handle Metro?
2. Be prepared to profit.) Does your product offer enough of a profit margin for Metro? Can you sell your product at a reasonable enough profit to cover the packaging, shipping, commissions, marketing and wholesale distribution? Check Metro guidelines for other fees that you will have to build into the cost of your product in order for you to be able to turn enough of a profit to make the effort worth your while. If you work with a discount retailer, they will try to strip your profits down to zero in order to keep their prices as low as possible.
The typical breakdown of margins are: If a products costs $1 to produce, that product will retail for $4. That product that retails for $4 will wholesale for $2 to distributors and stores that purchase direct. Big box retailers like Metro may offer to pay $1.25 to the manufacturer if the product costs $1 to produce. That is the typical profit margin.
3. Determine if Metro is the right store for your product.) The relationship between you and Metro starts with you browsing their store for competing products. If Metro already has a similar product, it is going to be very difficult to get your product picked up. Spend some time at your local Metro to see what kind of products they are selling, speak to the manager and see if he thinks your product will sell well in their store. Picture in which zone your product would best fit on the shelf and keep in mind that the most precious asset that these big box stores value are their shelf space. Keep this information in mind when you are preparing your presentation to Metro.
If your company is minority or women owned, check Metro and see if they offer specific opportunities for those designations.
4. Pitch your product to Metro) Decide whether it will be you or a representative to present your product to Metro. Your presentation depends heavily on your strengths as a businessperson as they will most likely ask financial questions and logistics questions.
It’s common for companies to hire a broker to pitch their product to Metro, as it will be more likely that your product will make it to the next stage if the individual pitching your product has industry knowledge or a personal relationship with Metro. The percentage of commission verses, however generally a broker will take around 5% to represent your product to Metro.
We at Mr. Checkout have experience dealing with brokers and know that there are several retail brokers that have poor business practices that can potentially damage your brand. If you are seeking a legitimate Metro broker, please give us a call for a recommendation. It could save you a huge headache and a lot of money.
5. Complete the required Metro paperwork.) Often Metro will have you go through an application process. However, before submitting the paperwork required by Metro, you should contact a buyer at Metro and let them know your intentions. Having a contact inside of the company will potentially move your application more smoothly through the process.
6. Anticipate the need for increased volume.) Having Metro agree to stock your product will most likely mean a significant increase in volume. You should be prepared to ramp up your production and informing your manufacturer of this opportunity.
Having production, logistics and distribution to sync is not only difficult, it requires a significant amount of time invested in customer relations. Also, Metro may have stipulations in the contract that may penalize you for delays in shipping and production. Have an attorney explain all contracts to you if you don’t understand the terms.
If you’re looking to sell your product to Metro, be sure to thoroughly assess the marketplace, carefully prepare for production growth, and take full advantage of resources available to help you grow your business.
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