Makro
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| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cash and carry |
| Headquarters | Diksmuide, West Flanders, Belgium |
| Parent | SHV Holdings |
| Website | Metro AG site SHV site |
Makro is an originally Dutch chain of Warehouse clubs, also called cash and carries. The first one opened in 1968 in Amsterdam. In the following years more stores opened in the Netherlands and in several other countries within Europe and, in 1971, South Africa. In the 1970s and 1980s Makro extended its business to the Americas and Asia. The stores are not open to the general public (except in Brazil and Pakistan), only to businesses which have to be registered members in order to gain entry to the store.
Makro expanded to the United States in the mid-1980s. In 1989, Kmart bought the American locations,[1] and converted most of them to Pace Warehouse in 1990.
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Ownership [edit]
The still privately owned SHV originated in 1896 from a merger between a number of large coal mining companies, some of which had been active since the 18th century.
In 1998, the European Makro stores were acquired by Metro, a German-based retail and wholesale company.
In 2012 Metro sold the Makro UK business to Booker Group.
Store locations [edit]
European stores can be found in the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Stores have stretched as far as Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and eastern Asia, South Africa, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil (76 stores across Brazil).
Product range [edit]
Makro sells food and non-food products, usually located in different sections of the store. Each store also contains a hot-food cafeteria, and a cash machine.
The food section always includes a fresh fish section, a wine section, fresh meat and butchery department, and refrigerated aisles. The non-food area includes clothing, DIY, office supplies, electricals, computing, and seasonals such as garden furniture.
Special offers are featured via a printed and online fortnightly brochure known as Makro Mail.
The stores are not open to the general public, but serve the following sectors:
- Traders, such as newsagents and convenience stores.
- Horecas, such as restaurants, hotels caterers.
- sco, such as doctor's surgeries, schools, universities, sport clubs and associations.
Customers can shop at Makro with a membership card.
Makro UK used to have the tag-line "The UK's No.1 Discounter". This tag-line was replaced with "For Professionals". Makro has subsequently changed this to "Your business partner everyday".
Recent changes to the Makro UK structure include the closure of three stores: Wolverhampton, Coventry and Swansea. Metro have announced that the company has to be financially independent by 2011.
