Metro Group eyes own brand growth

German retail giant Metro Group launched three flagship brands on Tuesday, announcing that the development of its own brands has been included in the group's strategic plan in China.

The three brands unveiled are Metro Chef, Metro Professional and Metro Premium. Metro Chef will mainly include food products targeting chefs and restaurants. Metro Professional will cover the nonfood sector such as washing and cleaning products. The Metro Premium brand will provide high-end food products.

Metro Chef and Metro Professional products are now available in outlets in China. About 500 products under these two brands are sold in the Chinese market now and the number will rise to 1,600 by the end of this year, according to Chen Jia, vice-president of Metro China. Metro Premium products are scheduled to enter China at a later date, she said.