Coop Accused of Favoring Giants in Chocolate Market

Small Producers Cry Foul Amidst Allegations of Competition Exclusion

A prominent Norwegian chocolate maker is alleging that retail giant Coop is unfairly favoring large confectionery producers, effectively shutting out smaller, local businesses from prime shelf space. Hval Chocolate Factory, a smaller player, claims they were removed from Coop stores to make way for Nidar, a subsidiary of Orkla.

“Coop Closes Doors” to Local Sweets

Rune Forsberg, CEO of Hval Chocolate Factory, asserts that Nidar’s influence led to the exclusion of competitors from “small shelf” offerings at Coop. “I think Nidar is simply too afraid of competition,” Forsberg stated, accusing Nidar of subsequently creating copycat products.

Currently, Hval Chocolate Factory’s products are available at NorgesGruppen, Rema 1000, and Europris. Forsberg believes a tacit agreement between Coop, Orkla, and Nidar is systematically keeping smaller brands out of Coop’s extensive network of over 1,200 stores.

“We don’t understand it. We were in Coop a few years ago, but then Coop tells Nidar that they can take responsibility for the small shelf. But what Nidar did then was to throw out the alternatives, and rather put in his own products. Then they make copies of our products.”

—Rune Forsberg, CEO at Hval Chocolate Factory

Call for Government Intervention

Forsberg is urging the Norwegian government to investigate and implement stricter regulations to ensure fair competition. “We try to get politicians to realize that they have to tighten the rules,” he told Nettavisen, emphasizing that large corporations should not have exclusive rights to display products in Coop’s small-scale sections.

Marzipan Dispute Fuels Controversy

A key point of contention appears to be the sale of marzipan products. Forsberg claims Nidar dislikes selling marzipan outside of holiday seasons, leading Coop to believe customers lack year-round demand. This assertion is challenged by Forsberg, who notes Hval’s successful sales of marzipan in other retailers like Kiwi, Spar, Joker, Meny, and Europris.

“We sell both Kiwi, Spar, Joker, Meny and at Europris, then suddenly the Coop customers not like the marzipan out of season?” Forsberg questioned.

Company Reports Record Turnover Despite Retail Exclusion

Despite the challenges with Coop, Hval Chocolate Factory has reported a record turnover for the past six months, with sales reaching NOK 38.2 million—a 23% increase year-on-year. The popularity of their marzipan products specifically has surged, with a 77% volume increase in the first half of 2025.

Coop and Orkla Deny Claims

Knut Lutnæs, Senior Advisor for Communication and Public Relations at Coop, stated that the company does not recognize Forsberg’s accusations. Coop maintains that they are satisfied with Nidar as a supplier, citing competitive products and pricing. Similarly, Orkla issued a statement asserting their compliance with laws and regulations, noting that Coop determines its product assortment.

“Coop has Nidar as a supplier of small goodies, and both we and our customers are satisfied with the range, products and prices, which are competitive.”

—Knut Lutnæs, Senior Advisor Communications and Public Relations, Coop

Lutnæs further elaborated on the marzipan issue, stating that demand is indeed lower outside of Christmas and Easter, leading Coop to prioritize other items. He concluded by remarking that customer purchasing decisions ultimately shape shelf contents and that Coop’s customer perception of their “small good range” is positive. Coop extended well wishes to Forsberg and his company.