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Value at a discount With an official goal of becoming the world’s most value-driven company, the Scandinavian discount store Rema 1000 does not shy away from its social responsibility. But that has not meant a lack of success. Last year, the Norwegian franchise expanded with 13 new grocery stores in Denmark, reaching a total of 270 Danish outlets, and increased its turnover by one billion DKK. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Rema 1000
With more than 800 stores in Denmark and Norway, Rema 1000, which entered the Danish market in 1994, has become one of the biggest grocery stores in Denmark. Furthermore, several listings place the store at the top when it comes to popularity. The success should not just be attributed to competitive pricing, but also to the store’s distinctive focus on value. Value saturates every part of the hugely 42 | Issue 88 | May 2016
successful family-owned Reitan Group, which Rema 1000 is part of, resulting in a string of advantages including better employees, stronger customer relations and higher product quality. CEO of Rema 1000 Denmark, Henrik Burkal, explains: “The mission of the Reitan Group is to become known as the most value-driven company in, well, before it was in Scandinavia, but today it’s just the most value-driven
company full-stop. The way the company defines value-driven management is that we believe in building strong people and inspiring them to action through trust. I think that’s an amazing mission and definition, and it’s one of the main reasons I’m part of the company.”
Believing in people The management philosophy of Rema 1000 is reflected in the structure of the company, which is set up as a franchise with each store run independently. This not only gives more freedom to co-workers but also closer relationships to customers, stresses Burkal. “It’s about finding the right balance between freedom and structure. We are a