Metro

Metro, also known as Makro, operates as a wholesale supplier that provides food and non‑food products primarily to businesses in the hospitality sector. The company’s core activity involves stocking restaurants, hotels, catering services and similar establishments with a wide range of goods needed for daily operations. Its headquarters is located in France, and it trades under the aliases Metro and Makro in different markets. By focusing on the wholesale channel, Metro serves as a key link between manufacturers and hospitality end‑users.

The organisation maintains a multinational network that includes hundreds of locations spread across various countries, enabling it to reach a broad base of hospitality clients. This extensive footprint allows Metro to support customers in multiple European countries simultaneously, as evidenced by the simultaneous impact of a recent IT outage on stores in several nations. The scale of its operations is reflected in the ability to serve a large number of outlets while maintaining a consistent product offering. Such reach positions Metro as a significant player in the wholesale distribution landscape for the hospitality industry.

Metro’s distinguishing attributes include its specialization in wholesale distribution to the hospitality sector, which shapes its product assortment and service model. The company demonstrated notable operational resilience during the October 2022 cyberattack, keeping physical stores open despite widespread IT infrastructure outages by activating offline payment systems and contingency measures. Its internal IT team led an investigation that was supplemented by external experts, and the firm cooperated with relevant authorities to determine the cause of the incident. This response highlights Metro’s capacity to manage technical disruptions while continuing to serve its customer base.