In marketing, "best agers" generally refers to consumers in the over 50-s age group. At present, 33 million Germans, or 40 percent of the population, are older than 49 years.

All measures specifying a company’s and its employees’ behaviour in accordance with legislation, established social guidelines and values.

A retail format characterised by a limited product assortment and an aggressive low-price policy.

Food includes fresh produce and non-perishable foodstuffs; the term nonfood products covers materials and articles.

Large retail store with different articles offered largely in a self-service arrangement. Aside from food products, the assortment also includes consumer durables and non-durables.

An independent international body formed by accounting experts that developed the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and continues to modify them.

This group resolves controversial accounting issues. Its interpretations of accounting standards are initially published as a draft for public discussion and become effective once the IASB has approved them.

International rules governing the accounting policies of stock corporations. In contrast to the financial statements according to the German Commercial Code, the focus of IFRS is on investor-oriented information.

Total sales growth of a retailing company compared with the prior-year period, which, in the case of chain stores, is adjusted for the sales volume of all newly opened or closed selling space during the reporting period. METRO Group reports like-for-like sales growth in euros.

An informative METRO Group event aimed at potential management recruits.

A group of more than 60 companies from the retail and trade, consumer goods, information technology and services sector. The METRO Group Future Store Initiative was founded by METRO Group, SAP and Intel with the aim of promoting the modernisation process.

Retail strategy to reach customers via several parallel marketing approaches.

Branded articles that have been created and trademarked by a retailing company and offer attractive value for money.

Innovative technology for contactless data transmission. An RFID transponder is a thin tag containing a computer chip and an attached miniature antenna. Information related to such things as price, best before date and manufacturer is stored on the chip. These data can be read by a computer-controlled device (reader) without visual contact.

Unique corporate brand.

A company with a consistently independent market presence.

Subsidiary of a retailing group that operates outlets or stores under a certain sales concept.

Stores in the store. A type of presentation for partial assortments in the retail trade. It is used particularly to integrate well-known brand manufacturers on the selling space.

A family with a small disposable household income, which therefore pays particular attention to special offers.

Extension, deepening and/or quality improvement of a retailing group’s offering, for example through larger product assortments, a higher level of quality, comprehensive services and a more sophisticated store design.

A trade format where, in contrast to retailing, merchandise is not sold to end consumers, but to commercial resellers (for example, retailers),
processors or commercial users (for example, public authorities or canteens).