PRESS RELEASE

INTESA SANPAOLO INVESTS IN THE CAPITAL OF MERCATO METROPOLITANO

THE COMPANY INAUGURATED THE FIRST "ITALIAN MARKET" IN LONDON TODAY

• 5,000 square meters at Elephant&Castle dedicated to food and wine specialities of small Italian producers, a fruit and vegetable market, "street food" restaurants, and events to promote made in Italy products of excellence
• These products may also be purchased online on www.mercatometropolitano.com with deliveries to any country in Europe
• Intesa Sanpaolo invests in the capital of the holding who, after launching the Mercato Metropolitano in Turin Porta Susa and in London, is now working on a new plan to open other markets abroad
• A crowdfunding operation was launched with Seedrs, the leading on-line fundraising operator in the United Kingdom who specialises in raising funds with private investors to finance start-ups

 

Turin, 15 September 2016 - The Intesa Sanpaolo Group has approved the acquisition of a stake in MMH - Mercato Metropolitano Holding, an investment of approximately 2 million euro in line with its strategy to diversify the group's investments and support developing Made in Italy industries. The company, with whom Intesa Sanpaolo has been working for over one year, today inaugurated its first store in London, 5,000 square meters at Elephant&Castle, the city district which is currently being redeveloped according to a radical transformation project. The event, which was given very wide coverage, was attended by the Italian Consul and the top management of the Bank.

"We are here today - said Massimo Tessitore, head of the Integrated Multichannel Department of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group - to support Italian food in the world, a global brand that is recognised at an international level. This initiative opens the door to exports for small Italian producers on a market that appreciates and can afford our products of excellence. This is therefore an investment that complies in full with our aim of promoting Made in Italy products of high quality and the strategic diversification of our Group's investments".

The format of the London Mercato Metropolitano is identical to that designed by Andrea Rasca for the first temporary store at the 2015 Milan Expo and to the one which was then opened at Porta Susa in Turin. Namely a space that combines the direct sale of products with tasting of food and drinks in restaurants and kiosks, as well as cuisine, musical, cultural and art events. In other words, a place where people can enjoy themselves, go shopping, get to know and appreciate Italian products of excellence.

These products may also be purchased on-line on www.mercatometropolitano.com, with deliveries to countries all over Europe. The website, which was developed by Intesa Sanpaolo and Mercato Metropolitano, currently has 450 active companies and offers more than 2,800 products, most of which are regional specialities produced by small local artisans.

Together with the inauguration of the Mercato Metropolitano in London, the company will also launch an on-line crowdfunding operation through Seedrs, the leading fundraising operator in the United Kingdom who specialises in raising funds with private companies to finance start-ups. The aim is to continue with the plan to open other markets, focusing above all on large cities abroad, where the demand for high quality Italian food and wine products is growing constantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For information

Intesa Sanpaolo
Banca dei Territori Media Office and Local Media
Tel. +39 0115556652
stampa@intesasanpaolo.com