Corona current: Metro branches are now open to everyone here

Buy once in a wholesale – that's what many connoisseurs want. Strolling through shelves full of maxi packs from sweets to toilet paper is now possible without a business license. Because the wholesale chain Metro has decided to make individual branches accessible to the general public again.

Specifically, it concerns all Metro branches in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since November 3rd, everyone has been able to go shopping there without a special customer card. However, the opening of the wholesale stores is limited in time and is only valid until November 30th.

Metro opens stores as a corona response

In the press release, however, Metro announced that it would provide support with the decision "to rectify the number of customers in the run-up to Christmas". The main reason, however, is the large sales area, wide aisles and a wide range that should make shopping safer. With the opening, wholesalers are reacting to the corona crisis.

At the beginning of the year and the corona pandemic, Metro had made wholesale markets in North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania accessible to all consumers. CEO Frank Jäniche explained the decision by saying that the wholesale markets should "contribute to the protection of everyone and now offer the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia an additional, large-scale shopping opportunity".

It is not clear whether further openings will follow in other federal states. The change in use of the wholesale market had to be officially requested from the Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia. Nothing is currently known about a possible extension of the permit.

However, the opening of the Metro stores is unlikely to have fallen completely unselfishly: Many major customers are currently likely to disappear due to closed restaurants. With the changed entry restrictions, wholesalers are paving the way for a further target group.