real,- SB-Warenhaus GmbH opens first supermarket in Ukraine

Internationalisation of the retail company continues in Eastern Europe

Moenchengladbach/Odessa, 16th October 2009 – real,- SB-Warenhaus GmbH, Moenchengladbach, which is part of the METRO Group, is opening its first supermarket near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa on 16 October 2009 thereby implementing its market entry into Ukraine. As a result, real,- is one of the leading supermarkets in Eastern Europe.

“The market entry into Ukraine is a further step in the continuous internationalisation of our company,” emphasised Didier Fleury, COO of the real,- Group, at the opening ceremony in Odessa. “After real,- started its internationalisation in Poland in 1997, further real,- stores have been opened in Turkey, Russia and Romania. We are now operationally active in five other countries in addition to Germany, at 101 sites.”

The real,- store in Odessa offers a wide product range of 25,000 items in the food and non-food sectors over a sales area of approximately 8,500 m². The total investment for the new store is approximately €21 million.

A total of 420 people will work in the store with a further 150 people employed in the head office of the Ukrainian subsidiary. Nearly all positions have been filled using local workers. More than 70 per cent. of all items are procured directly from Ukrainian suppliers.