Grocery, Selection | Big report: This low-cost chain has the worst selection

There are large differences in how good the selection of the various grocery chains is, according to a new survey conducted by the market analysis agency Nielsen on order from Coop.

That there are significant differences if you compare chains like Mega and Meny with Extra and Kiwi probably does not come as a surprise to anyone, but there are also big differences among the low-price chains.

Nielsen’s figures show that a Coop Extra store has an average of 6,520 unique products. In an average Rema 1000 store, you will find 5,188 items, while you will find 4,981 different products at Kiwi.

– Good selection

The difference between Extra and Kiwi is 23.6 percent.

– In Norway, there is a fierce focus on price, and we in the grocery industry often get criticism, because people think that the shops are boring and have a poor selection. But these figures show that the stores have a good selection, and also show who has the largest selection. Extra has by far the largest selection compared to Kiwi and Rema, says communications manager in Coop Norge Harald Kristiansen to Nettavisen.

He thinks many have opened their eyes to the selection in Norwegian stores after Sweden turned red:

– All Swedish grocery stores are not like those on the border, and the closest you come to this country is Obs, which many people opened their eyes to when the border was closed, Kristiansen claims, and points out that Obs has had a growth of around 37 percent this summer.

Especially during the corona pandemic, it is good for the consumer to avoid too many stores to find what they are looking for, says Kristiansen:

– For those who are very conscious today, of reducing the infection, there is a greater chance of getting everything you need on one shopping trip if you go to Obs, Coop Mega or Extra.

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Kiwi strikes back

Kristine Aakvaag Arvin, communications manager at Kiwi, strikes back at the Coop manager:

– KIWI’s goal is to have as correct a selection as possible, not necessarily the most different items. We have the largest comparable growth in the entire grocery industry this year, and we have the most loyal and satisfied low-price customers, according to the Norwegian customer barometer. This indicates that customers are satisfied with the selection we offer, she tells Nettavisen.

She elaborates on the “right selection” in this way:

– We have not seen this analysis, but we get similar figures from Nielsen. They show that Extra, for example, has a larger selection of confectionery than us, but when it comes to fresh fish and bread, KIWI’s selection is larger than theirs.

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Store size also plays a role, says Kiwis Arvin:

– KIWI has quite a large variation in store size, and then it is a bit wrong to take average figures as a starting point. We have everything from very large shops with around 7,500 different items, to smaller shops in cities and tourist places. It would lead to a significant waste of food if the smallest shops were to have as large a selection as the largest, and space would of course also be a challenge.

Calle Hägg, communications manager at Rema 1000, explains that it is important to have a well-chosen selection.

– We will have the goods most people want most days, and we will have them at low prices. Then it is important to have a well-chosen selection. It requires that we choose goods carefully so we are able to deliver on both customers’ needs and expectations for responsible production and high quality at as low a price as possible, he says to Nettavisen.

Price war vs. selection

Market research Coop has conducted shows that Norwegians love price wars, but that they are also just as concerned with finding everything they need in one place, says Kristiansen.

Nielsen’s figures also show that Obs has 11,200 unique items. Coop Mega has 8,426 unique products, compared to 8,309 in the Meny chain’s stores. Spar and Eurospar have 5,305 unique products in a typical store, according to Nielsen.

The online newspaper has received confirmation of the figures directly from Nielsen. The agency has arrived at the figures by looking at what each individual store in Norway has sold over a four-week period. Coop has been aware of when the figures have been measured. When asked about this, Coops Kristiansen answers the following:

– We have asked the analysis company Nielsen to make an independent count at a time that is little disturbed by seasons and which is comparable with previous years. Even though we thus know the time of the measurement, it is practically impossible to influence the numbers to any great extent.

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