Norgesgruppen-owned retail chain Meny plans to open a new centralised e-commerce store in the autumn of next year.
The 13,000-square-metre store – located at Alnabru, Oslo – will serve online customers in Greater Oslo and the surrounding area, the company noted.
CEO of Meny, Vegard Kjuus stated, "Norway is still far behind many other countries when it comes to online groceries, but we believe in a significant increase and are gearing up for the future.
"We are therefore establishing a centralised online store, in addition to picking in our physical stores. Our country is large and long, and it is very difficult to achieve profitability nationally without also picking in our physical stores."
Focus Areas
Meny aims to strengthen its focus on food, fresh produce and a more extensive product offering.
The second floor of the store will focus on fresh produce and initially offer hand-cut cheese, meat, delicatessen and bakery, run by employees with experience in the food sector.
Studies have found that 75% of customers want to combine physical and online shopping and the retailer aims to make it possible.
In 2016, Meny launched online operations using existing stores as picking shops. Currently, it has 50 pick-up stores and caters to around 70% of Norway's population.
In 2022, the retailer generated sales worth NOK 728 million (€61.7 million), which is double compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019.
"We have built stone upon stone and gained experience in a market characterised by rapid change and high customer demands. We will now increase our volume, efficiency, range and precision, which will also increase profitability. The online store at Alnabru will initially have around 100 employees, and existing Meny employees will be important here," added Kjuus.
After the launch of the new store, the current picking stores will continue to operate and those in Greater Oslo will cater to shoppers who want to pick up their purchases from the store.
Currently, only 10% use the pick-up service, while 90% have them delivered to their homes.
