Freddy Etland Stave took over the grocer’s role at Rema 1000 Bø in 2017. He then took all the hypoallergenic products he could find from the chain and secondary supplier, Spesialgrossisten.
– It took a while and then he started walking and walking. After that, the turnover of free stock goods increased year after year, she says.
Dagligvarehandelen wrote on the matter for the first time.
– Try all the novelties requested by customers
He says he gets a lot of questions about bringing news to the free shelf.
– When people have heard that there have been reports of allergy products, I am asked if I can take them. We try out all the new things customers ask for as soon as we get them, says Stave.
When he started working in grocery stores in 2003, in a large supermarket, there was only a shelf and a cold counter in the far corner reserved for allergy products.
– Most things are now stocked at the wholesaler and can be delivered multiple times a week, says Stave, who believes it was good for the store to focus on allergy products.
– Those who need hypoallergenic products seem like loyal customers. We probably don’t have an optimal range yet, but we take into account all the questions we get and try to get it right. In 2017 we took everything and fixed something after the sale, she explains.
Stave himself is not allergic, but he has tried many of the allergy products.
– It wasn’t very good before, but when I tasted Klæbu håndbakeri’s school sandwiches, in my opinion it was just like eating regular baked goods. So it was a positive surprise, says Stave.
From 88.5 to 140 million
Not only has Stave invested in hypoallergenic products, but it has also worked hard to achieve environmental certification.
– It was an insane amount of work to pass all the criteria for the environmental lighthouse. It also cost a lot, but we have remedied it as we have a lower garbage bill and we have taken measures that have significantly decreased our electricity consumption. When we refurbished last year, we switched to LED lighting throughout the store and replaced our entire old cooling system, says Stave.
The shop became an environmental beacon in 2017 and recertified in 2020. Environmental certification was a requirement in the tender for the former municipality of Bø and now the municipality of Midt-Telemark. He recently won the race again at Midt-Telemark.
– It means a lot. It has been a big and safe business for many years. Also, we can show our stores. I think this is partly why the turnover has increased so much since I started in 2017. Combined for Rema 1000 Bø and Rema 1000 Skogen, we have gone from 88.5 million in total, net, to this year we arrive to about 140 million net, says Stave.
He is also a trader for Rema 1000 Skogen.
– I took a few laps with myself before I said yes. The first year was difficult, it’s not to be taken lightly, but as long as we go on it’s a lot of fun. I got some good help from Rema 1000 when I took over the shop and now things are going very well, she says.
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