Other than empty METRO newspaper boxes, quiet streets devoid of the ubiquitous hawkers, and the hurried paperless commuters, early signs of the end of this chapter of Metro International in the US where out there begging to be seen.

Why such news have been not broadly publicized is because the already
troubled Boston Globe has a 49% stake in Metro Boston.  The New York
Times, parent company of the Boston Globe had already forced cutbacks
to ally its own financial difficulties.

As early as a month ago, a British marketing publication “Brandrepublic” divulged that Metro International “had agreed to sell its US newspaper operations to a company led by its former chief executive Pelle Tornberg for an undisclosed sum.”

Largely unpublicized the transaction was to be completed by June 1. A month later, and without any warning, the daily has been suspended for a “4th of July holiday”.

The US division incurred operating losses of $12.4 million dollars in 2007 and $7.33 million dollars in 2008.

METRO’s troubles were not in the US alone, in January METRO International “closed its operations in Spain resulting in a loss of more than” $8 million US dollars.

The final sale will be preceded to a licensing of the operation under what the Swedish president of Metro International called “strong leadership”.

Read more about the sale in Brandrepublic.