The distribution network in Norway

Evolution of the Sector: Even though Norway’s consumer market is small by European standards it is attractive to foreign suppliers. According to Statistics Norway, retail sales turnover reached NOK 83.166 billion during Q1 2022, increasing by 2.9% compared to the same period in 2021. Grocery retail sales decreased by 3.9% compared to Q1 2021, reaching NOK 30.922 billion.

The retail market for groceries is characterised by a high degree of vertical integration, with wholesaling and retailing operations typically owned by the same company. When combined with the homogeneity of Norway’s grocery retail sector, and the preference for known products, this has made it extremely hard for foreign companies to enter the market without local representation.
Norwegian retail trade is focused around main commercial centres, such as Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger. Mergers or close collaborations between two or more companies have driven the structural change over the past few years, mostly in the grocery sector. Retailers aim to enlarge their operations in order to gain more negotiating power at the expense of producers and wholesalers. Because of the small domestic market, Norwegian retailers are small compared even with other Scandinavian countries, and are not very active internationally.
Price levels in Norway are infamously high: groceries cost 50% more than the EU average. Prices of alcohol and tobacco are even higher.
Market share: The Norwegian distribution system is quite organised and consolidated. It is characterised by a small number of intermediaries, sensible margins, a diversity of trends and dynamic professional syndicates. Distribution chains dominate the market, and some chains have strengthened their positions by taking on the role of wholesaler as well, such as NorgesGruppen.
According to Statista, in 2020, the principal Norwegian retailers were :
•    Norgesgruppen, the leader with 44.1% market share,
•    Coop with 29.3% market share,
•    Rema with 23.2% market share,
•    Bunnpris with 3.4% market share.
Shopping centres have also had great success, with turnover steadily increasing and expected to continue in four principal zones: Oslo, Akershus, Østfold and Vestfold.
Retail Sector Organisations: The Enterprise Federation of Norway (formerly the Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises)

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