Metro will open seven to 10 stores this year and similar numbers annually in the years to come.

"My target to open seven to 10 stores is already a big challenge because first of all, we have to find the right store location," said Hoelzer. "You lose money immediately if you make a mistake in choosing a new store location."

Before coming to China, Hoelzer was the chief executive officer of Metro in Vietnam and then in Poland. His experiences in those two countries make him quite confident about the company's performance in China.

He said there is competition in China, but it is not comparable with some foreign countries.

According to Hoelzer, in European cities each with 40,000 to 50,000 residents, normally there will be four to five hypermarkets, which leads to intense competition among rivals.

"And here (in China), we are still far away from having similar high competition as in western Europe or eastern Europe," said Hoelzer. "I always tell our store managers: 'Look, there is competition but it is not yet comparable to what we know from other countries'. "

Currently, Hoelzer seems quite confident and ready to deal with the complex market situation in China.

Engaged in the retailing and wholesale sector since he graduated from university, Hoelzer said being the president of Metro China is his greatest achievement. He started his career in a retail company and became one of the youngest managing directors at Aldi when he was 30. Aldi is a Germany-based supermarket chain operator specializing in inexpensive goods.

Hoelzer said it was a coincidence he entered retailing. "My grandma was shocked when I told her I would start my career life with a retailing company. My whole family was working in the legal arena. She wanted to see me as a state attorney or as a lawyer working in the retailing industry," said Hoelzer. "She was quite impressed after she saw I became successful in my career life.

"I wrote my thesis about key account management. The key account management approach was founded in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. For me, it is interesting to work on this topic. And it was the reason I applied for a job with one of the big German retail companies."

Q+A: Uwe Hoelzer

tangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn

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