German retail giant Metro has said group sales were up 4.9% in the third quarter, boosted by continuing double-digit sales growth outside Germany.


The company said that sales were €14.06bn (US$16.89bn) in the third quarter of fiscal 2005. Outside Germany, sales went up 11.4%. The share of international sales continued to rise, to 53.1% in the third quarter.


“In Germany by contrast, the market climate is influenced by ongoing uncertainty. With the election’s outcome, the generally expected improvement in consumer sentiment failed to materialise. The discussions about imminent amendments to the social security systems as well as potential tax rate increases have contributed to additional uneasiness of the consumers,” Metro said.


Furthermore, the development of the company’s Real hypermarkets business remained behind expectations.


“We are not satisfied with the performance of Real. The measures introduced some months ago so far have not led to an improvement of its business in Germany. We continue to push forward with the repositioning of this sales division,” said Dr. Hans-Joachim Körber, CEO.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

At the end of the third quarter 2005, Metro had 2,463 outlets in a total of 30 countries.