Johan Johannson (53) is good for tens of billions of kroner and controls large chains such as Kiwi, Meny, Joker and Spar, but few know who he is.
Norgesgruppen, which owns Kiwi and Meny, among others, has by far the largest market share in the grocery industry. The man at the top of the group is Johan Johannson, with an ownership share of close to 75 percent. In 2020, he is ranked as Norway’s third richest of Capital, somewhat The online newspaper reported in September.
He has a fortune of just over NOK 44 billion – an increase of NOK 4 billion from 2019.
Watch the video at the top of the case to get to know who Johan Johannson is better.
Got billion-dollar business
The billionaire’s fortune has not only come through hard work. Johansson’s father, Knut Hartig, and uncle Torbjørn, inherited half each from the Joh. Johannson AS by his father, and these in turn have passed on to the next generation. Etterson Torbjørn is childless, thus the entire ownership passed to Johan Johannson and his children, who now own over 74 percent of Norgesgruppen.
Norgesgruppen consists of the grocery chains Meny, Kiwi, Joker, Spar and Nærbutikken, and a total market share of 44 percent in the grocery market, miles ahead of Rema 1000 and Coop.
At the same time, the group has a significant real estate portfolio; The coffee distillery, the kiosk chain Mix and the wholesale company Asko. Through Joh. Johannson Eiendom has also Johannson invested in, among others, Alna Senter and Solon Eiendom.
Also read: Now Kiwi is bigger than Rema 1000 – is Norway’s largest grocery chain
Have never seen him
But even though Johannson is perhaps the most powerful man in the grocery industry, he maintains an unusually low media profile, especially compared to other major grocery profiles such as Stein Erik Hagen and Odd and Ole Robert Reitan.
GROCERY OWNER: Norgesgruppen owner Johan Johannson is not a familiar face to most people, but he is one of Norway’s richest.
Photo: Berit Roald (NTB scanpix)
He is also not very visible in other contexts.
Bjørn Takle Friis, communications director at Coop, has worked in the grocery industry since 2008, and still enjoys seeing Johan Johannson.
– I have attended most meetings and conferences about Norwegian groceries, but have neither seen him live nor talked to him, says Friis.
– In fact, I’m not sure if he exists, he adds in a humorous tone.
Friis believes the low profile he has chosen is closely linked to the profile Norgesgruppen that the company wants to have.
– Norgesgruppen is an ever-increasing power factor in Norwegian grocery and consciously communicates through its individual chains to divert attention. Johan Johannson has made a fortune selling groceries, which is far from positive for customers who want the cheapest possible food, says Friis and adds:
– These are probably the main reasons why neither I nor so many others will ever have the pleasure of meeting Johan Johannson.
Inherited personality
Wholesale trade expert Odd Gisholt, on the other hand, has met Johannson several times, and thinks he is a pleasant guy. Like Friis, however, he has a theory as to why he is so media-shy.
– It is in a way an inherent modesty. It is probably inherited from his grandfather and father. Johan Johannson is part of the management of the group, but stays in the background, and leaves the day-to-day operations to Rune Hollevik (CEO, journ. Note), says Gisholt.
This distinguishes Johan Johannson from, for example, Rema owner Odd Reitan, Gisholt believes.
– Odd Reitan is very big on it and leans forward, and likes to call himself a colonial major. Even though Rema 1000 sells cheap goods, the Reitan family lives on a high footing, says Gisholt.
Neither the Johannson family nor Johan himself thinks so.
– He lives quietly, calmly and modestly, he says.
The online newspaper has been in contact with Norgesgruppen, which informs that Johan Johannson does not want to comment on the case.
Inherited
Also read: Only the taste separates these two, but the price difference is large
Johan Johansson has been lucky that his father inherited part of his grandfather’s company. His two aunts did not inherit much from their father. The online newspaper has previously talked to one of Johan’s aunts, Liv Johansson, about this.
Her little brother Torbjørn had previously stated that it was a coincidence that it was the boys in the family who took over the family company, and that it was because the sisters wanted to do other things. That’s not true, according to Liv.
– It does not imply accuracy. My father said, “Women have nothing to do in business.” That message was clear. So what my brother says is not correct, she told Nettavisen.
The seas: The sons got the billion-dollar business, while the daughters got nothing
She said she has not had any good finances in adulthood, and especially when her son was little. It was only when she was almost 70 years old that she inherited something – her parents’ house. It was supposed to be shared between Liv and her sister, but the sister died before.
SISTER: Liv Johansson is Johan Johansson’s aunt. Stock Photo.
Photo: Ole Eikeland (Nettavisen)
Big price cut
Kiwi has really been on the field and marketed itself this year, because after the corona pandemic broke out in Norway, they have run four major price-cutting campaigns. On October 19, they started the fourth, which is the largest ever, and this will last until December 1.
– We cut the prices of over 500 items by an average of 21 percent, said Kristine Aakvaag Arvin, communications manager at Kiwi, to Nettavisen.
Although both Extra and Rema said that they are following up with their own price cuts, Coop went out and explained what consequences it could have for them.
– We will always follow the price, but it is tougher for us to give low prices than those who have better purchasing conditions. It goes far beyond our competitiveness when we have to use our “war box”, says Bjørn Takle Friis, communications director at Coop Norge to Nettavisen.
Friis said that it will go beyond their opportunities to establish new stores. They therefore risk falling a little behind compared to Kiwi, which wants more funds to do other things to maintain competition, Friis believes.
HAVE NOT MEETED: Bjørn Takle Friis, communications director at Coop Norge, has not seen Johan Johannson – despite a long career in the industry.
Photo: Nina Lorvik (Mediehuset Nettavisen)
The seas: The price cut for Kiwi can have consequences for Coop: – Goes hard beyond competitiveness
Advantage over the competition
Kiwi and Norgesgruppen have been in some bad weather this autumn, after the Norwegian Competition Authority launched a new report which showed that Norgesgruppen has better purchasing conditions from several large suppliers than Rema and Extra have.
The seas: New revelations about Kiwi and Menu: Has a huge advantage over the competition
In summary, the survey shows that Norgesgruppen’s purchasing conditions also in 2018 and 2019 are better than Rema and Coop’s conditions, and that the differences are significant for some suppliers. The calculated differences for 2017, presented in the 2019 report, were thus not a one-off case, the Norwegian Competition Authority writes in the report.
The report last year showed that Norgesgruppen receives the same goods from some suppliers over 15 per cent cheaper than Coop and Rema, and the Norwegian Competition Authority thought it could lead to you getting higher prices.
The results in this year’s report thus show that Norgesgruppen still has advantages over the other two players.
Also read: Hard accusations of abuse of power against the food family that owns Meny and Kiwi
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