What METRO Markets does

METRO Markets GmbH is the digital commerce subsidiary of METRO AG, operating a B2B marketplace platform serving professional customers in the hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) industry across six European countries — Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. The company was established to develop the marketplace concept in 2018 and launched its first platform (metro.de/marktplatz) in Germany in September 2019, subsequently replicating the model across additional European markets through 2023. The platform hosts more than one million non-food products spanning kitchen equipment, canteen kitchen technology, tableware, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and country-specialized items such as Italian espresso machines and Spanish paella pans, sourced from multiple suppliers and made available to professional buyers ranging from food stalls and restaurants to bars and hotels.

The business is structured as a marketplace, with revenue generated through commission on transactions between third-party suppliers and professional HoReCa buyers; no public pricing details, take-rates, or transaction-level economics are disclosed in the source material. The French platform reached 200,000+ products from 300+ suppliers serving 75,000+ customers within its first year of operation, indicating meaningful early-stage traction in newer markets. The company maintains offices in Düsseldorf (headquarters) and Palma, employs between 501 and 1,000 people across more than 70 nationalities, and is led by three Managing Directors (Malte Nousch, Caspar Danckworth, Milagros Brousset) with a Chief Product Technology Officer (Kolja Sauerberg) overseeing product and technology. The platform was originally built with implementation partners Ciklum and Data Art, credited as key contributors to the September 2019 go-live.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of METRO AG — a major international wholesale and food-service specialist — METRO Markets operates with parent backing but no disclosed external venture capital or private equity funding. The technology stack is described as a proprietary B2B digital marketplace with no disclosed APIs, SDKs, AI/ML capabilities, or named platform architecture components beyond the marketplace itself. The company is actively operating with no acquisition, closure, or IPO announcements in the source material, and its marketing presence spans LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Xing, complemented by conference participation (Zukunft Personal, Analytics Summit Hamburg, Chefs in Town) and STEM outreach events.

Name

METRO Markets

Legal name

METRO Markets GmbH

Website

https://metro-markets.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

METRO Markets operates a B2B digital marketplace serving HoReCa businesses (hotels, restaurants, catering) across six European countries, connecting professional buyers with suppliers offering over one million non-food products. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of METRO AG.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B E-Commerce Marketplace

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF)

Keywords

• B2B marketplace
• HoReCa procurement
• Non-food wholesale
• Hospitality e-commerce
• Digital commerce platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission: B2B marketplace connecting millions of business owners with suppliers across 6 countries. Platform hosts over 1 million products across various product categories including canteen kitchen technology, kitchen equipment, office supplies, tableware, cleaning products, and more. Revenue generated through marketplace transactions between sellers and professional customers (HoReCa businesses).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

METRO Markets operates a B2B digital marketplace platform that connects professional HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, catering) buyers with suppliers of non-food products. The platform offers more than one million products across six European countries, covering categories such as kitchen equipment, tableware, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and canteen kitchen technology. Revenue is generated through marketplace commissions on transactions between third-party sellers and professional business customers.

Product overview

METRO Markets operates a single unified B2B marketplace platform called METRO Marketplace. The platform serves the hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) industry across six countries (Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, France), offering over one million non-food products from various suppliers. The marketplace enables professional customers—ranging from food stalls to restaurants, bars, and hotels—to source kitchen equipment, canteen technology, tableware, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and specialized items like espresso machines and paella pans from international suppliers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• METRO Marketplace A B2B e-commerce marketplace platform enabling business owners in the HoReCa industry (hotels, restaurants, bars, catering, food stalls) to purchase non-food products including kitchen equipment, tableware, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and canteen kitchen technology from multiple suppliers. Operates across six European countries via country-specific URLs.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CiklumcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSoftware development partner credited as key contributor to the September 2019 METRO Marketplace go-live launch. Multiple team members from Ciklum were recognized for their contribution to creating the B2B marketplace platform.
• Data ArtcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnology partner credited as key contributor to the September 2019 METRO Marketplace go-live launch. Multiple team members from Data Art were recognized for their contribution to the platform development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bidfood: Leading European foodservice wholesaler operating across multiple countries with broad HoReCa product ranges. Comparable as a multi-country HoReCa supplier though primarily distribution-led versus METRO Markets' marketplace model.
• Restaurant Depot: US-based membership warehouse supplying restaurants, caterers, and HoReCa businesses with food service equipment, supplies, and consumables. While US-only and offline-led, comparable in serving the same HoReCa buyer profile with broad non-food categories.
• METRO AG: Parent company and the largest HoReCa wholesaler in Europe. Operates physical cash-and-carry wholesale stores across more than 30 countries and serves as the structural foundation for METRO Markets' supplier and customer pipeline.
• Brakes Group: Major UK and European foodservice wholesaler supplying pubs, restaurants, hotels, and catering businesses. Operates in overlapping European geographies with METRO Markets and serves the same HoReCa customer base.
• Sysco: Largest US foodservice distribution company supplying restaurants, hotels, and healthcare with food and non-food supplies. Comparable in serving HoReCa customers with broad product portfolios, though distribution-led rather than marketplace-led.

Direct peers

• Ankorstore: European B2B marketplace connecting brands and wholesalers with independent retailers across multiple verticals. Comparable in model (B2B marketplace, European footprint, verticalized categories) and a direct competitor for HoReCa-adjacent retail buyers.
• Amazon Business: Amazon's B2B procurement marketplace that serves businesses including HoReCa, restaurants, and hotels with broad catalogues of commercial supplies, equipment, and consumables. Directly competes with METRO Markets for HoReCa buyers across Europe and globally.
• Zoro: B2B e-commerce marketplace for MRO, commercial, and professional supplies owned by Grainger. Comparable digital B2B marketplace serving professional buyers across categories that overlap with METRO Markets' supplies and equipment lines.
• Faire: B2B wholesale marketplace connecting independent retailers with brands and suppliers. While primarily focused on retail rather than HoReCa, it shares the marketplace-commission model, multi-category catalogue, and digital-first supplier onboarding approach.
• Alibaba.com: Global B2B marketplace connecting buyers and suppliers across categories including commercial equipment and supplies. Comparable marketplace-commission model and broad product catalogue make it a relevant competitor for cross-border HoReCa sourcing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/metromarketsgmbh
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/metro.deutschland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metro-markets-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/metromarketsgmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about METRO Markets