ICA AB
Encyclopedia
ICA AB
(Inköpscentralernas aktiebolag, lit. the Purchasing Centers' Corporation) is a Swedish
retailing
corporate group. The company was started in 1938, based on a business model which was introduced by Hakonbolagen in 1917. Most of its operations are based in Scandinavia
, and the company is the largest retail company in the Nordic countries
.
The company was owned by the participating retailers until 2000 when half of the company was sold to the Dutch retailer Ahold
. It acquired a further 10% in 2004. Ahold is prevented by contractual obligation from exercising majority control over ICA.
An approximation of the usual pronunciation of the name in Sweden for an English speaker would be 'ee-kah'.
In Sweden
, ICA Sverige AB operates about 1,350 retail stores as of 2009. The stores have different profiles, depending on location, range of products and size:
Each store is owned and operated separately, but operations are coordinated within the group. All feature ICA brand products.
During 2009, ICA Sverige AB had sales of 59 billion SEK
(excluding VAT
). A major ICA location is in Västerås
, where they have a logistics center.
Since 2001, ICA has run a series of television commercials featuring the staff and customers of a fictional ICA store. As of September 2010 approximately 320 commercials have aired.
in its weekly investigative television programme Uppdrag granskning
. According to Hallén, many stores engaged in practices such as repackaging meat in order to change the expiry date.
as of 2009. Store sales were at approximately 21 billion SEK
(excluding VAT
). Formerly known as Hakongruppen and owned by Stein Erik Hagen
, it operated solely RIMI discount stores until ICA bought the chain, and transformed many of the stores to the ICA brand. After the take-over ICA has been losing market shares in Norway. ICA Norway is divided into four different stores:
operates discount stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
In 2010, Rimi Baltic's net sales was 10,352 MSEK
.
in 2010.
and ICA jointly operated Statoil Detaljhandel AB (Statoil Retail Ltd) which ran approximately 1,300 petrol stations in Scandinavia, many branded under the name ICA Express. ICA has since sold its 50 percent share of the business back to Statoil and the ICA name was removed from the petrol stations during 2007.
. In 2004, ICA sold its entire holding in ISO.
was founded in 2002 as a joint venture between Dansk Supermarked and ICA. The joint venture was named Netto Marknad AB. At the end of 2006, ICA announced it was pulling out of the joint venture, reducing its stake from 50 to 5 percent. Twenty-one of the Netto stores in the Stockholm and Västmanland regions were transferred to ICA's ownership and rebranded to ICA's own formats or closed during 2007.
Aktiebolag
Aktiebolag is the Swedish term for "limited company" or "corporation". When used in company names, it is abbreviated "AB" or "Ab"...
(Inköpscentralernas aktiebolag, lit. the Purchasing Centers' Corporation) is a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
retailing
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
corporate group. The company was started in 1938, based on a business model which was introduced by Hakonbolagen in 1917. Most of its operations are based in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, and the company is the largest retail company in the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
.
The company was owned by the participating retailers until 2000 when half of the company was sold to the Dutch retailer Ahold
Ahold
Ahold is a major international supermarket operator based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ahold is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.-History:...
. It acquired a further 10% in 2004. Ahold is prevented by contractual obligation from exercising majority control over ICA.
An approximation of the usual pronunciation of the name in Sweden for an English speaker would be 'ee-kah'.
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, ICA Sverige AB operates about 1,350 retail stores as of 2009. The stores have different profiles, depending on location, range of products and size:
- ICA Nära ("ICA Nearby") — Convenience-type stores for daily retail needs.
- ICA Supermarket — Mid-size supermarkets, located near where customers dwell or work carrying a wide range of products.
- ICA Kvantum — Superstores for large, planned purchases. Large spaces allocated for traffic and parking. Typically located outside of the cities.
- MAXI ICA Stormarknad — Hypermarkets with a full range of groceries as well as fashions, homewares, entertainment and electrical. Smaller stores do not offer the fashion and electrical ranges while the largest stores also have a DIY and gardening department.
Each store is owned and operated separately, but operations are coordinated within the group. All feature ICA brand products.
During 2009, ICA Sverige AB had sales of 59 billion SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(excluding VAT
Vat
Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...
). A major ICA location is in Västerås
Västerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
, where they have a logistics center.
Since 2001, ICA has run a series of television commercials featuring the staff and customers of a fictional ICA store. As of September 2010 approximately 320 commercials have aired.
ICA meat repackaging controversy
In December 2007, a meat repackaging fraud scheme was made known to the public. Hans Hallén, a former quality control manager for supermarket chain ICA has revealed that the company knew that meat was being illegally repackaged as early as 2003. Hans Hallén, who monitored ICA stores in southern Sweden from 2003–2005, said he had informed the company's managers of the exact practices that were exposed on 5 December 2007 by the Sveriges TelevisionSveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
in its weekly investigative television programme Uppdrag granskning
Uppdrag granskning
Uppdrag granskning is a Swedish television program focusing on investigative journalism. The program is produced by and aired on SVT and has become known for the use of concealed cameras and microphones....
. According to Hallén, many stores engaged in practices such as repackaging meat in order to change the expiry date.
Norway
ICA Norge AS runs about 600 stores in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
as of 2009. Store sales were at approximately 21 billion SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(excluding VAT
Vat
Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...
). Formerly known as Hakongruppen and owned by Stein Erik Hagen
Stein Erik Hagen
Stein Erik Hagen is a Norwegian businessman. He is Chairman of the Board of Orkla, where he is a large owner, and holds large ownerships of Steen & Strøm, Jernia and Komplett through his family company Canica...
, it operated solely RIMI discount stores until ICA bought the chain, and transformed many of the stores to the ICA brand. After the take-over ICA has been losing market shares in Norway. ICA Norway is divided into four different stores:
- ICA Nær
- ICA Supermarked
- ICA Maxi
- RIMIRIMIRIMI is a grocery store chain with 279 retail outlets throughout Norway. The chain is owned by ICA, but can trace itself back to 1977 when it was founded as RIMI 500 by Stein Erik Hagen....
(a chain of food stores)
Rimi Baltic
ICA's wholly owned subsidiary Rimi BalticRimi Baltic
Rimi Baltic is a major retail operator in the Baltic states based in Riga, Latvia. It is a subsidiary of Swedish group ICA. Rimi Baltic operates 246 retail stores in Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania and has distribution centres in each country...
operates discount stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
In 2010, Rimi Baltic's net sales was 10,352 MSEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
.
ICA Bank
ICA Bank operates in Sweden and has agency agreements with nearly all ICA stores in the country. The basic idea is to offer banking services that build loyalty among ICA's customers, as well as to increase the share of store transactions executed with ICA's own cards instead of more expensive cards from other banks. Sales amounted to 612 MSEKSwedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
in 2010.
ICA Real Estate
ICA Real Estate's mission is to satisfy the Group's need for the right properties in the right locations in Sweden and Norway. This is currently done by owning, renting and strategically developing marketplaces. The Group currently owns around 180 store properties.Statoil
Until the mid 1990s, StatoilStatoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
and ICA jointly operated Statoil Detaljhandel AB (Statoil Retail Ltd) which ran approximately 1,300 petrol stations in Scandinavia, many branded under the name ICA Express. ICA has since sold its 50 percent share of the business back to Statoil and the ICA name was removed from the petrol stations during 2007.
Denmark
ICA previously had a 50 percent stake in the ISO chain of supermarkets in the Copenhagen region, DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In 2004, ICA sold its entire holding in ISO.
Netto Sweden
The Swedish operation of Danish supermarket chain NettoNetto (store)
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket operating in several European countries. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group, which in turn is partly owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group.Netto also operates an express version of the store, known as Døgn Netto...
was founded in 2002 as a joint venture between Dansk Supermarked and ICA. The joint venture was named Netto Marknad AB. At the end of 2006, ICA announced it was pulling out of the joint venture, reducing its stake from 50 to 5 percent. Twenty-one of the Netto stores in the Stockholm and Västmanland regions were transferred to ICA's ownership and rebranded to ICA's own formats or closed during 2007.