– I set up the first shop in 2010 after I saw that people missed food from their home countries, says Ahmadsha Barial. In 2001, he came to Norway from Afghanistan. Today he runs three import shops, also known as “immigrant shops”. One of them is the Internasjonal Matsenter in the center of Drammen, where he meets news. In the competition with the grocery stores, Barial believes that he has an ace up his sleeve. Namely, that it is the customers who decide what he sells. Photo: Laik Hanbaly / news Barial says that the competition from the established grocery chains is fierce, but that he is now seeing an increase in customers recently. – I think it has something to do with the fact that the prices in the Norwegian shops have become higher, he believes. The customers in his shop agree that the price in the established shops is higher than in import shops. Laik Hanbaly / news Marthe FuglerudFuglerud says that she often shops in import stores. – They have great vegetables here, good quality at good prices. She believes that the prices in import shops are lower than in the big chains. – Prices in the established shops have gone up. While here the prices are kept at the same level, she says and adds: – For me, it is important to eat healthy, and refers to the store’s large selection of fruit and vegetables. Laik Hanbaly / news Connie AaslandAasland is in the shop when news meets her. – There are so many more exciting items here, which, for example, Kiwi does not have. She also believes that the prices in import shops are lower. – I see that the prices in the other shops have gone up, I see that almost every day. She says that she is very fond of these shops. – They have good prices on meat and snacks. Laik Hanbaly / news Henrik Nguyen Nguyen is originally from Bergen, but visits the store when he first comes to Drammen. – They have a very good selection here, and it is both reasonable and of good quality, he claims. He also agrees that the prices in import shops are lower than in the big chains. – This applies especially to the foreign goods. – Coping against all odds Today, it is the three major players – Reitan Retail, Coop Norge and Norgesgruppen – that dominate the Norwegian grocery market. Together they control more than 95 percent of the market. Now, for the first time, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will survey the “immigrant shops”. At the end of November, they present the survey, but one thing is already clear: – These stores manage against all odds. The director of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority says that import stores that are close to discount stores manage to do quite well. – They compete against them so that I think it hurts. But the big chains don’t talk much about it, says Engebretsen. Photo: Norwegian Food Safety Authority This is what Tor Erik Engebretsen, director of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, which ensures good trading practices in the grocery chain, says. – The purpose of the survey is to see how they manage to compete with the big chains. Our thinking is that if we can learn more and understand what challenges they have, then the authorities can perhaps assist in better lubricating that market. He points out that the import shops operate in a difficult market, but succeed because they are efficient and manage to turn around quickly when it first matters. – And they work very hard. They are skilled and smart buyers. And they are not bound by a large chain system that established grocery stores have. In 2021, Internasjonal Matsenter was opened in the Torget Vest shopping centre. Barial says that the competition from the established grocery chains is fierce, but that he is now seeing an increase in customers recently. Photo: Laik Hanbaly / news – Tough competition In the competition with the big chains, Barial believes he has an ace up his sleeve. Namely that it is the customers who decide what he sells. – For example, many Ukrainians missed the food they ate in their home country, so I thought it would be wise to import food from there, he says. The need to meet demand from local Ukrainian refugees has meant that Barial now has Ukrainian Maryna Pylypenkoi as a trainee in the store. Maryna Pylypenkoi has work experience in the store. Photo: Laik Hanbaly / news He says that many customers are pleasantly surprised when they find something from their home country in his shop. – They are also very happy that Maryna works here, he says. Taking customers from grocery stores The director of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority says that grocery stores primarily compete with each other, but he sees that import stores that are close to discount stores manage to do quite well. – They compete against them in such a way that I think it hurts. But the big chains don’t talk much about it, says Engebretsen. He says that the very largest import stores are approaching NOK 100 million in turnover. Engebretsen points out that the import shops operate in a difficult market, but are successful partly because of a large selection. Photo: Laik Hanbaly / news – It’s impressive. In addition, some of them are profitable with the large turnover. Then it starts to matter. – How do they manage it then? – By being smarter, and often thinking a little differently. They can, for example, get hold of leftovers and returns that the big chains find they don’t want to sell. They have a shorter route, in many cases, from the wholesaler to the store. Customers decide whether they can buy tomatoes with some spots on them or not. – If they think they are just as good and can get them much cheaper, then it can be a good alternative, says Engebretsen. Published 15.10.2024, at 16.12
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His shop succeeds against “all odds” – now the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will survey immigrant shops – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
