On October 27, 1964, the first Metro wholesale store was opened in German Mülheim an der Ruhr. Now, the company's headquarters has been in Düsseldorf for almost 15 years. The fiftieth anniversary is celebrated by Metro Cash & Carry, together with its customers, until October 11 in the Metro stores in Düsseldorf and Neuss.
It all started in 1963: food wholesalers Ernst Schmidt and Wilhelm Schmidt-Ruthenbeck opened their first self-service wholesale store. The original idea of a self-service wholesaler (Cash & Carry) from the US in the 1950s and 1960s inspired the Schell family to open a similar Cash & Carry market of their own in 1964. During construction, the Schells and Schmidts got acquainted, and came to the conclusion that a fusion of their ideas and activities would be more successful. That's why, together, they established 'Metro-SB-Großmärkte GmbH & Co. KG', fifty years ago.