The Metro Cash and Carry - retail, wholesale and shopping chain of Bulgaria - has agreed to purchase different Pakistani products, especially the textile made-ups for its stores in Bulgaria and other countries.
According to Pakistan Embassy sources, representative of Metro Cash and Carry, Anton Iliev Atanassov, while discussing business opportunities for his group in Pakistan with the Pakistan Ambassador in Bucharest on Tuesday, said that Metro was presently constructing two department stores; one in Lahore and another in Karachi.
Ambassador Sanaullah welcomed the Metro's move, and suggested purchase of textile items, processed fruit and sea products, sports goods and equipment from Pakistan for Bulgaria.
He said Metro chain in Romania was selling Pakistani textile items and processed food and other commodities. Atanassov said the trend had picked up in Bulgaria too. Pakistani ride was a very popular item and so were the textile items, including bed linen, shirts, underpants, socks and kitchen towels, he added.
A team of six Metro technicians and marketing analysts would soon arrive in Lahore and Karachi to firm up the purchase contracts from local sources. Next month, a group of 24 Pakistanis would reach Sofia for training in management and services.
A group of 120 Bulgarian would also be coming in rotation to Pakistan to oversee operation of the said two Metro outlets and also to explore prospects for more branches in other major cities of Pakistan such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.