DE4CC0DE-5FC3-4494-BCBF-4D50B00366B5
Drinks

Norwegian Government U-turn On Drinks Sector Changes

By square1
Share this article
Norwegian Government U-turn On Drinks Sector Changes

Wine will not be sold in grocery stores under changes planned by Norway’s new centre-right government, despite initial reports.

“There will be no change in the way of importing and distributing alcohol in Norway with the new Government,” said Pål-Helge Kraknes, MD of Altia-owned Strøm.

The news comes after reports from inside the country last month that the Conservatives (Høyre) and the Progress Party (Framskrittspartiet), which formed a coalition following this year's election, were considering the sale of beer and wine in mainstream grocery stores, as well as state monopoly-run Vinmonopolet outlets.

Vinmonopolet (The Wine Monopoly), Norway's government-controlled wine and liquor stores, are losing revenue due to increased duty free sales and customers who shop in Sweden.

However, a pact with Norway’s other two parties, including the Christian Democrats, means that Vinmonopolet will undergo only minor changes to its operations.

ADVERTISEMENT
Get the week's top grocery retail news

The most important stories from European grocery retail direct to your inbox every Thursday

Processing your request...

Thanks! please check your email to confirm your subscription.

By signing up you are agreeing to our terms & conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.