For most consumers, grocery stores are our primary interface for sourcing food and therefore play a critical role in influencing what gets made by producers and what gets bought by consumers. In this series, we explore how different grocery retailers across the Nordics are thinking about sustainability, shifting the food system, and working with startups.

ICA

ICA is one of the biggest grocery retailers in Sweden. Every week, around 12 million people pass through their stores. Recognizing the important role they play in the everyday life of Swedes, ICA is intent on supporting the shift to a sustainable food system. A system that supports biodiversity, plant-based, and local foods. They launched ICA Växa, a new unit of the organization, to bring new products to market and connect with the startup community. Today, I speak with Jacqueline Engdahl, the Head of ICA Växa, to hear what exactly their up to. Full episode transcript here.

Coop Crowdfunding

Nicolai Jæpelt is the Project Leader for Coop Crowdfunding. Coop is one of the largest supermarket chains in Denmark and is run as a cooperative with approx. 1.8 million members. The supermarket has created a crowdfunding platform where members can invest in early-stage food initiatives they believe in. We cover how to get on Coop’s shelves, why this new pathway is so interesting, and what consumers are investing in. We also chat about how to make a successful food crowdfunding campaign and why the platform has become a trend-spotting platform for other purchasers. Full episode transcript here.

Kesko Group

K Group is the 2nd biggest grocery retailer in the Finnish market. K Group has struggled to communicate the responsibility they’ve taken around their business practices to consumers. In this conversation, we speak with Customer Insight Director Heidi Jungar to explore how Kesko has approached this challenge including what sustainability in retail means to them and what they believe grocery shopping will look like in the future.