Brewer to ølkrig after Rema-refusal of Mack – VG

North-Norway are mobilising to fight for the beer its after it became known that Mack is in danger of disappearing from many Retail-shelves.

When people realized what the Rema best friend strategy might mean for world’s northernmost brewery – that Mack-the beer may be gone in 18 out of 19 counties – began to boil in social media.

It didn’t help with a when you take the beer from all that says Æ, Then nordlendingan kokforbanna, such as a printer on Twitter with a reference to the new Rema-app Æ.

– Ass 1000

Or as the political editor of the northern lights, Skjalg Fjellheim, writes in his comment “the Rema is not my best friend”.

In the course of the weekend the new marketing gimmicken Ræma 1000 quickly been baptized into it about as popular Ass 1000 in the north, he writes.

Fjellheim believes Rema 1000 has stepped right in the northern heart.

– In 24 hours can all of Rema’s reputation to be more or less crushed in the North of Norway because they kødder with the strongest northern brand we have except for the Hurtigruten. Choosing an international bryggerigant with Danish ownership and throw out the small local Norwegian breweries have understandably attracted strong reasjoner in Northern Norway. This is a total bomskudd, says Fjellheim to VG.

Beer – and brusprodusenten Ringnes, which is wholly owned by the Danish Carlsberg Group, is as known been the “best friend” to the Rema.

Now to hope the Mountains that Rema 1000 turns.

– Turn back in time. If they turn and displays prudence will the northerners, of course, forgive it, he believes.

Meeting tomorrow

Harald Bredrup, managing director of Mack, will on Monday evening meet Rema 1000 management in Oslo to discuss the inflamed the controversy.

– We have an agreement that runs out in February and we are not in agreement on a new deal. They have chosen Carlsberg is the dominant player in Norway, on the water, beer and soft drinks. To Carlsberg get greater volume in the Rema must it be at the expense of regional breweries that Mack, Aass and Hansa, says Bredrup to VG.

He believes that the Rema spices up the whole thing by saying that they’ll give shelf space to microbreweries.

But a part of these are owned by the Rema himself. The premise for the negotiations with the us means that our volume will be reduced dramatically, ” says Bredrup who are preparing for job cuts in the business today has 120 employees.

How many people have to go, he knows not.

see also: Mack fears Rema-refusal could lead to termination

Available in north

Lars Kristian Lindberg, managing director of acquisitions in Rema 1000, mean Mack has created unnecessary uncertainty by, the way he sees it, to try to negotiate through the media.

Mack management has created a tremendous commitment and it shows how much regional goods and beer does to people. But we have never had any other plan than that Mack should be available in our stores in the north, he says to VG.

He confirms that Mack in the side last year, has distributed beer to Retail stores throughout the country, but refers to the fact that Mack has increased the price by 25 per cent.

We shall discuss the level of turnover on Monday. If there are any mistakes, or something we disagree about, we’ll take it then. Instead of talking with us directly has Mack gone right out in the media, but we can not negotiate in the media. We are very keen to have a good dialogue and think it most be resolved by talking over the table, ” says Lindberg.

Mack believes it must be up to consumers to decide if they are too expensive.

– We are up against a giant who is the market leader in all of the categories and has some crazy economies of scale. To believe that we have a cost level that is similar to Carlsbergs, is like believing in santa claus, ” says Bredrup.

– Devastate free

Bredrup tells that today they sell Mack at the Coop, Norgesgruppen and Rema – also in the South of Norway. Sales in Retail stores in the south started in the year.

We were up for the year, but when a dominant player gets to ravage freely with the space in the store such as here, it becomes difficult for the small vendors. This is historieløst, says Bredrup and points out that people have a beating heart for their local beer.

– It is a fantastic that forbrukerengasjement. It all boils down to is that “best friend” gets exclusivity and the freedom to remove the competition products. It is nicely packaged, but the package inside is not particularly pretty. It is the brutal reality, ” says Bredrup.

Will drop to the small

Rema says that over the best friend-the strategy over time will reduce the number of larger suppliers to achieve better conditions at the same time that they are open to more regional and local suppliers.

– We will do microbreweries available in lokalmarkedene where they mean something to our customers, ” says Lindberg, adding that those in Oslo will take the beer from the Southampton Brewery, and beer from Berentsen Brygghus in California.

Rema even have a stake in the Southampton Brewery through the Norwegian Breweries.

Furthermore, the Rema in the dialogue Rena Brewery as well as Borg and Nøisom in Østfoldsregione

– What happens with the Hansa and Aass?

– This is the strong regional brands that we want to translate where they matter most. The Hansa and the Aaas will be heavy regional actors, but they will not be tilgjengengelige in all our stores, ” says Lindberg.