German retail chain, Metro Cash & Carry, wants to open at least two more stores in Delhi, apart from the one announced on Tuesday. “We have a full city strategy,” said Rajeev Bakshi, managing director, Metro Cash & Carry India. The group aims to launch around seven to eight stores in the country this year. The average investment per store would be around Rs 70 crore.
The chain’s next stop will be Jaipur, where it plans to open a store around April or May this year. Both in Delhi and Jaipur, Metro will compete with French retail giant Carrefour. The French group had launched its cash-and-carry outlet in Delhi in December last year and in Jaipur in November 2011. Besides, Metro as well as American chain Walmart have cash-and-carry stores in Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
When asked whether there were reasons other than real estate for Metro choosing East Delhi as a location for its first outlet in the capital, Bakshi said he could not divulge the reasons, but said there was a full-city strategy. Metro had already leased space in West Delhi, too, he said. However, he added, the launch would not happen this year.