– We probably won’t get rich from doing business like that, but people on the island can in any case buy the most necessary goods they need. That’s what Frode Bjøru says. He is chairman of the board and prime mover for the newly opened store on the island of Jøa in the Namsenfjord, with just under 500 inhabitants. After Coop chose to close this spring due to poor profitability, a local company stepped in to open a new store in the old premises. And the new store boasts state-of-the-art technology. It is both self-service and open 24/7. In this way, they ensure an offer for the local population, while at the same time managing to keep labor costs down in particular. – We saw the opportunity to create a store that was more future-oriented, says Bjøru. Married couple Margreet Sloot and Frode Bjøru have great faith in the small shop on Jøa. Photo: Espen Sandmo / news More and more self-service shops All over Norway, there are more people who have thought like those at Jøa. Especially in the rural areas, an increasing number of small and often 24-hour shops are springing up, where customers serve themselves using smartphones and bank cards. The Merkur programme, which works to strengthen and promote retail in the districts, has given support to 50 such shops – and they can report that more have shown interest. According to Finansavisen, the Swedish chain Alltimat, of which the store in Jøa is the second branch in Norway, aims for 30 stores within five years. Also in larger cities, chains such as Coop and Bunnpris have invested in self-service stores. Næringslivets Hovedorganisaison (NHO) thinks this is exciting, and believes we are now in the middle of a paradigm shift. – The only thing that is absolutely certain is that the options will be greater. Both for the stores and the customers, says managing director, Anne-Cecilie Kaltenborn, at NHO Service og Handel. She believes that the service will become more like an adviser in the future, and that we will see more combinations of technological solutions. Managing director, Anne-Cecilie Kaltenborn at NHO Service and Trade believes we will see more of the technology in the future. Photo: Anne Cecilie Remen Must have Vipps Even though self-service stores are becoming more and more common, not everyone thinks it’s getting easier. Pensioner Helge Bragstad struggles a bit with learning the technology. – Yes, it looks fine, he says when he starts scanning the goods at the payment terminal. But when it comes to fruit and vegetables, it’s not as simple. – I have to ask Frode for help, he laughs. Scanning barcodes is not always easy, fortunately the threshold for asking for help is low. Photo: Espen Sandmo / news And it’s not just pensioners who occasionally have to ask for help. Because on Jøa, people are pouring into the new store. Most are local, but also the occasional visitor. Either cottagers or tourists. – People from other countries don’t have Vipps, and then they can’t get into the store, says Margreet Sloot, who is general manager of the store in Jøa. To enter the store, you must register with Vipps. Photo: Espen Sandmo / news She explains that as a security measure you must register with Vipps for the doors to open. – So we have stepped out several times to help foreigners get in to shop. Has created a society for trading without money 49 percent turnover growth Director Marit Mellingen of the Merkur program is happy that new technology can help merchants in the rural areas to maintain operations. – Our goal is to ensure that people in the district have access to groceries and good services connected to the store. The self-service stores lead to increased turnover and better earnings, she tells news. Among other things, Merkur can point to a pilot project with 24-hour operation and partial self-service, which actually resulted in a turnover growth of 49 per cent for the participating stores. Director Marit Mellingen believes that the technology helps the merchants in addition to contributing to increased turnover. Photo: Geir Bjarte Hjetland / news – We see that the shops are reaching new customer groups with longer opening hours, says Mellingen. – In addition, the merchant and the employees get time for other tasks. Yes, some merchants say they actually have a life outside the shop. This was what Norwegians bought the most in the store in 2019 Trade and Office is skeptical Although many are positive about a 24-hour shop with self-service, the LO confederation Handel og Kontor is not convinced. – We have to take the technology in, but this means that cleaners and security guards have to work at other times of the day, says first deputy chairperson, Elisabeth Sundset. First deputy chairperson of the LO confederation Handel og Kontor, Elisabeth Sundset, is not convinced of the benefits of a 24-hour shop. Photo: Ilja C. Hendel / © Ilja C. Hendel – I understand that this might be a good idea in the rural areas, but we don’t need 24-hour shops in the cities. There are many open until 11pm already. Margreet Sloot is nevertheless clear that this is a concept that is here to stay on Jøa. – This is the future. Self-service solutions will only come more and more. Even pensioners manage to learn the technology with a little help. The pensioner Helge Bragstad also reached the goal of the trade when news was visiting. – It was a little difficult to get all the goods scanned, but with a little help it went well. I have faith in the store, but I wish the selection was a little bigger. But that will eventually happen, laughs the pensioner, before he rushes out the door after the day’s shopping in the convenience store at Dun.
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Will there be more 24-hour and self-service stores in Norway – the solution at Jøa when the Coop store disappeared – news Trøndelag
