METRO in 2020: changing online demand and store pickup
At the SOS-Retail event on 7 April 2020, Eugene Mischenko discussed METRO’s online demand and collection points in Moscow. Vedomosti’s event account describes an initial emphasis on long-life goods followed by more everyday products. That change provides a useful case for examining how a retailer should adapt assortment, picking capacity and pickup promises while demand is moving quickly.
Separate the demand spike from the next basket
An emergency stocking order and a routine replenishment order can have different line counts, weights and handling requirements. A retailer responding to such a shift should inspect the basket by category and fulfilment effort, alongside revenue. A falling sales total may coincide with more individual picking tasks if customers begin ordering smaller quantities across more categories.
Compare successive order cohorts by first purchase date and local service availability. Record whether items were unavailable or delivery windows closed, because accepted orders describe only the demand the operation could serve. Use searches, failed slot selections and support requests to identify demand excluded by the current service limits.
Define what a ready-for-collection order means
For a retailer adding pickup, the checkout promise needs a specific location, a realistic preparation window and a clear signal that the order is ready. The team must decide when stock is reserved, who completes the basket and where it waits. A customer arriving before the ready message is a predictable scenario that staff should be able to handle consistently.
Follow a test order through arrival, identity confirmation and handover. Include partial availability and collection by another person. The website, support team and collection desk should agree on the status and the next action. Record the customer’s waiting time at the location as part of fulfilment quality.
Set order limits from the constrained operation
Pickup removes the courier trip from a particular order, but still consumes picking time, storage and handover capacity. Calculate the maximum accepted workload for each of those stages. If the collection desk becomes the constraint, adding pickers may simply move the queue into the staging area.
Use a short planning interval when demand changes quickly. Review staffing, basket composition, uncollected orders and the space already occupied. Agree who can close or reopen a collection window and how existing customers are informed when preparation falls behind. Keep the decisions in an operational log so the next shift can understand why capacity was changed and what remains unresolved.
Review what remains after the exceptional period
A temporary surge can justify extra shifts before it justifies permanent space or equipment. Review which customers return when availability improves and emergency purchasing subsides. Compare repeat orders, fulfilled contribution, collection delays and support demand over equal observation windows. Keep customers who could not obtain a slot visible in the evaluation.
Use the findings to decide whether to retain the pickup point, alter its hours or change its assortment. Evaluate each location against its own labour and space costs. A practical continuation plan names the service promise, the capacity required to keep it and the conditions under which the retailer will revise that commitment.
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