METRO LAUNCHES ITS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR REGIONAL PRODUCTS AT ITS METRO AND SUPER C STORES IN THE LOWER ST. LAWRENCE REGION

Montreal, May 6, 2015 - Metro is pleased to announce that some 92 new grocery products from 16 Lower St. Lawrence region suppliers are making their debut today in 12 Metro and Super C stores in the Lower St. Lawrence region. This Metro initiative is aimed at offering as many regional products as possible on the shelves of its network of stores and to assist suppliers in their business development efforts in Quebec.

Thanks to the cooperation of Saveurs du Bas-St-Laurent, a regional tour was organized during which Metro’s purchasing and merchandising team met with suppliers who are interested and in a position to sell their products at Metro, in order to discuss their products, their labeling, their prices, their merchandising, etc. This process has resulted in several local farmers being discovered and in assisting them in their efforts leading to their products appearing on the shelves of Metro and Super C stores.

"This initiative is in keeping with the Local Purchasing Policy announced in May of 2013, of which one of the three guiding principles consists of making Metro a prime showcase for regional products”, said Christian Bourbonnière, Senior Vice-President, Quebec Division, for Metro. “Our goal is to increase the in-store presence of a distinctive selection of the products available in a region, at a competitive price for our clientele. To do so, we don’t hesitate to provide personalized support to each one of those partner-suppliers."

"I would like to point out the efforts that Metro has made in order to make it easier to get products from the region onto its shelves and to make them shine. This project with Metro allows participating farmers to develop their business, which benefits the economic activity of the entire region", commented Nicole Lavoie, Executive Director of Saveurs du Bas-St-Laurent.

"We are very pleased with the spinoffs stemming from our Local Purchasing Policy”, continued Christian Bourbonnière. “We have noticed several positive impacts: new agreements with innovative suppliers, still more products certified Aliments du Québec, not to mention 500 new regional products from 75 suppliers. We are more determined than ever to mobilize our employees, merchants, partners and suppliers in order to continue making it easier to access local products."

Metro’s Local Purchasing Policy rests on three guiding principles and is aimed at making Metro a prime showcase for regional products; a privileged partner of Aliments du Québec; the main ally of innovative Quebec suppliers. Metro’s Local Purchasing Policy can be viewed on Metro’s website. The 2015 Corporate Responsibility Update is available at metro.ca/responsibility.

Metro Inc.
With annual sales of over $11 billion, METRO INC. (TSX: MRU), founded in 1947, is the only major Canadian food distribution company to have its head office in Quebec. Along with its affiliates and franchisees, METRO INC. employs in Quebec and Ontario over 65,000 people, whose mission is to satisfy their customers every day and earn their-long term loyalty. METRO INC. operates a network of almost 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.

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​Information:

Geneviève Grégoire
Communications Advisor
Metro Inc.
genevieve.gregoire@metro.ca​
514 643-1000 ext 2055

Nicole Lavoie
Executive Director
Saveurs du Bas-St-Laurent
nicolelavoie@saveursbsl.com​
418 724-9068
​

Suppliers

Participating stores