Kesko.fi Stores and services

Stevia makes it sweet – without calories

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:08:41 GMT

The natural sweetener available from a plant called Stevia rebaudiana has been known for a long time, but it has come into wider use in Western countries only recently. In other parts of the world, stevia has been used for centuries.

Stevia made Jaffa into Super

In Finland, the beverage industry has been the first to bring stevia-sweetened products to the market. Jaffa Supers and the renewed Novelle Friss drinks, which came to Kesko stores at the turn of the year, have had 30 per cent of sugar replaced by stevia. The refreshing and light novelty drinks have bright green caps.

In juices and squashes, Fun Light Green squashes are 100% sweetened with stevia.
Kesko Purchasing Manager Timo Turunen says Jaffa Super drinks have been received favourably.

– Customers appreciate naturalness and well-being, he says.

This is what we’ve been waiting for!

Also Hartwall is pleased with the EU decision to approve stevia for use as a sweetener in foodstuffs.

– Consumers have been enthusiastic about drinks sweetened with steviol glycosides. We have received very much positive feedback. The fact that people take the trouble to actually pick up the phone to thank us shows that they have really been waiting for a product like this, says Taru Tuominen from Hartwall.

– Stevia is a very interesting product that is going to cause a revolution on the beverage market. Our product development team is continuously planning new ways of using stevia so that we can benefit from the unique combination of calory-free sweetness and natural origin.

300 times sweeter

The Stevia genus comprises more than 200 plants. From one of them, Stevia rebaudiana, it is possible to extract concentrate that is as much as 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar and completely natural.

In addition to soft drinks, Kesko’s range of products has stevia in the form of tablets and powder that can be used for example in baking.
In the future, stevia will be used more widely in foodstuffs.

Food recipes and shopping lists easily to mobiles

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:57:50 GMT

Shopping is easier when the products needed are found on the shopping list sorted by the store department. Using the mobile service is quick, as no separate sign up is required. According to Statistics Finland, nearly 40 percent of Finnish households have a smartphone and seven percent have a tablet.

"Customers have recipes and shopping lists always conveniently at hand. Customer needs and shopping patterns have become more diverse with new web services, wireless systems and various terminal equipment. Electronic channels will be key competitive factors in the near future. Our aim is to be a frontrunner in providing services that help our customers in their everyday needs, of which the Pirkka recipe and shopping list service is an excellent example," says Niina Ryynänen, Kesko Food's Director for Customer Relationships and Marketing.

Services are easy to use

The mobile m.pirkka.fi service is available in all phones with internet access. The service provides a search for recipes and an easy creation of shopping lists with the ingredients either by clicking or by writing them down. Editing the shopping list by adding or removing products is easy. The list can also be sent as a text message or email to the family member whose turn it is to do the shopping. You can access the service by writing m.pirkka.fi in the browser of the phone.

You can also make a shopping list on your computer at www.pirkka.fi and send it to your mobile or print it on paper. By signing up to the Pirkka Own Kitchen service, you can use the web pages to prepare shopping lists based on your personal recipes or even design a menu for any special events you have during the spring.

You can also download the Pirkka recipe and shopping list service to your phone as an application. The service is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android phones. The app can be used to find recipes according to season, for example, and to save your favourite Pirkka recipes. The application can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play from May 16th.

Almois 4,800 tested recipes

The Pirkka recipe and shopping list service comprises nearly 4,800 recipes, all of which have been tested by the home economics teachers of the Pirkka test kitchen. It is easy for consumers to search for recipes on the basis of the ingredients they have available at home, for example. In addition, as nutrient contents have been calculated for nearly all recipes, it helps in making healthy choices.

With an advanced search, it is possible to find recipes for special diets. In addition, the video recipes of the food programme What are we having today? - more than one thousand in all - can be viewed in the mobile service. In the videos, Chef Aki Wahlman shows in a few minutes how to prepare meals.

Russian Intersport chain completely to Kesko

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:37:37 GMT

Last summer, Kesko signed an agreement with Intersport International on the transfer of the Russian INTERSPORT licence to Kesko. Before the transaction conducted yesterday, Kesko's ownership interest in the joint venture established for Intersport operations was 80% and Melovest Ltd's ownership interest was 20%.

The objective of Kesko's Intersport is to double the Intersport store network in Russia by the end of 2015. The first store modelled on Intersport's new Sport to the People concept will be opened in Moscow towards the end of May.

ICC-Intersport International Company GmbH is an international sports retail marketing chain which consists of national companies and was established in 1968. The headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland. There are more than 5,200 INTERSPORT stores in 39 countries. Kesko has been a shareholder of the company since 1992. There are 58 INTERSPORT stores in Finland, and Intersport Finland Ltd is the market leader in sports retailing.

K-citymarket is introducing Posti's Smartpost automatic parcel points

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:46:43 GMT

Smartpost parcel points are a new way of sending and receiving parcels where customers move. Customers can order their online purchases to the point of their choice and pick up the parcel conveniently when shopping for their daily needs. Smartpost parcel points will be installed in all K-citymarkets by the end of next year. There are currently 75 K-citymarkets in Finland.

"Our cooperation agreement will expand the network of Smartpost points to cover the whole country. Picking up parcels from K-citymarkets is easy and low-cost. Smartpost provides all online stores of the K-Group with a customer-oriented and cost-efficient delivery solution," says Ari Akseli, President of Anttila Oy and K-citymarket Oy.

"We want to make receiving parcels as easy as possible for consumers and that way support the development of e-commerce. This cooperation provides us with more benefits from our network of collection points, while making automatic parcel points available to an increasing number of consumers," says Aku Happo, Vice President, Itella Parcel Services.

This is how Smartpost works

The Smartpost automatic parcel point works as follows: When ordering something from an online store, the customer selects the preferred option where to pick up the parcel. When the parcel is ready to be picked up, the customer receives a text message with the code of the locker. When the code is entered at the point, the door of the locker will open and the parcel can be retrieved.

Customers can also use Smartpost points for sending a parcel to another Smartpost parcel point or postal outlet of their choice in Finland as well as for paying for or returning parcels.

Last year, Itella opened a total of 50 new automatic parcel points in various parts of Finland. This year, 50 more will be opened and the first of them in June in the following locations: the Greater Helsinki area, Forssa, Heinola, Iisalmi, Imatra, Joensuu, Kajaani, Keminmaa, Kerava, Kotka, Lappeenranta, Lieksa, Lohja, Nokia, Pieksämäki, Pietarsaari, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma, Riihimäki, Salo, Savonlinna, Ylöjärvi and Hamina.

Rautakesko opened the second K-rauta in Moscow

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:29:42 GMT

K-rauta Leningradskoe provides increasingly extensive and customer-oriented total services for building, interior decoration and renovation.

- Russia is a strategically important market area for Rautakesko, said Mikko Nissinen, Rautakesko's Country Director for Russia.

- The fact that we are opening our second store in Moscow within such a short time is strong evidence of our wish to build a network of stores in Moscow and improve the competitiveness and visibility of the entire K-rauta chain in Russia.

Design Center inspires customers

The new store in Moscow is a modern, versatile and service-oriented department store, which focuses on building, renovation and interior decoration.

Design Center in the centre of the store is a display and service area, which is intended to provide inspiration and ideas for customers, encouraging them to design themselves and make use of the store's design related services.

On the basis of customers' wishes, professional interior designers draw up proposals for home decoration and furnishing and help customers select materials.

Good location on a busy highway

K-rauta Leningradskoe is located northwest of Moscow, on the busy M10 highway between Moscow and Zelenograd. The city of Zelenograd, with over 250,000 inhabitants, also lies just a few kilometres from K-rauta.

- The location of the new store is extremely good also in the respect that during weekends, in particular, there is much traffic past the store towards dachas, summer houses of Muscovites, says Mikko Nissinen.

The total area of the building is nearly 15,000 m2, of which warm sales area covers more than 10,000 m2. The store employs 230 people.

Rautakesko invests strongly in Russia

K-rauta Leningradskoe is the second K-rauta in Moscow. The first K-rauta in Moscow, K-rauta Varshavskoe, was opened last December. In addition to the two new department stores in Moscow, Rautakesko has currently 10 K-rauta stores in St. Petersburg and stores in Jaroslavl, Kaluga and Tula.

The plan is to open ten new K-rauta stores in Russia in 2012-2015. The aim is to achieve net sales of €800 million in Russia by the end of 2015. The capital expenditure will amount to around €300 million.

Contactless K-Plussa cash card helps transactions at checkout

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:02:04 GMT

The new K-Plussa cash card, which can be used in K-Group stores, is the biggest application based on contactless technology in the Finnish retail trade. The new contactless K-Plussa cash card helps customer transactions at checkout.

"K-Plussa provides a faster and easier shopping experience for customers at checkout. K-Plussa also monitors actively the development of contactless payments and mobile solutions together with its partners", says Niina Ryynänen, Managing Director of K-Plus Oy.

The uniform payment terminals of the K-Group stores enable the introduction of a contactless K-Plussa cash card in all of the K-stores at the same time.

Fast and easy

The contactless card makes transactions easier for customers at the checkout. The customer only needs to hold the card near the reader, which then reads the customer identifier on the card in order to register K-Plussa points and grant other K-Plussa benefits.

Customers no longer need to insert their cards into the reader. A contactless K-Plussa cash card can be registered in the reader as soon as the cashier has read the first product at the checkout.

Contactless K-Plussa cash cards are issued to new K-Plussa customers and those replacing their existing cash cards starting from the beginning of February.

Acquisition of Intersport operations in Russia concluded

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:36:37 GMT

At the initial stage, the company operates 12 sports stores in the St. Petersburg and Moscow regions. The company intends to increase the number of its sports stores to 36 by the end of this year.

The Kesko subsidiary has acquired 12 INTERSPORT sports stores, including support functions required in the operations, from companies also engaging in INTERSPORT operations in the St. Petersburg and Moscow regions.

Moreover, by the end of this year, the company is due to acquire the 24 stores left to the companies after the acquisition concluded today. Most of these stores are also located in the St. Petersburg and Moscow regions.

In the future, the objective is to at least double the INTERSPORT store site network by the end of 2015.

Kesko owns 80% and Melovest Ltd 20% of the company. The company shareholders, Kesko and Melovest, provide funds to the company operations in proportion to their ownership interests.

Kesko will increase vigorously its operations in Russia. Kesko Food will expand its operations by constructing new stores. The capital expenditure is estimated at €300 million in 2011-2015. At the same time with greenfielding, Kesko Food will continue to explore business acquisition opportunities in both St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Rautakesko has currently 13 K-rauta stores in Russia, ten of which are located in St. Petersburg and three in nearby areas of Moscow. There are two K-rauta stores under construction, which will be opened in Moscow in late 2011. The plan is to open ten more new K-rauta stores in 2012-2015. The capital expenditure will be some €300 million.

Intersport operations in Russia to be transferred to Kesko

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:36:04 GMT

According to the key terms and conditions of the arrangement, the joint venture will acquire 36 stores mainly in the St. Petersburg and Moscow areas from companies currently engaged in INTERSPORT operations. In the future, the aim is to vigorously expand the INTERSPORT store network. The purchase price paid for the financial assets and support functions to be transferred in the arrangement will be determined on the basis of the reviewed value at the time of transfer.

"INTERSPORT is one of the best-known brands in the world in sports retailing, and the chain has achieved a strong position in the European market. INTERSPORT is a clear market leader in Finland and the INTERSPORT brand has good growth potential in Russia," says Matti Leminen, Senior Vice President, home and speciality goods trade.

“As shareholder and INTERSPORT Licensee for Finland, Kesko is a very professional and reliable partner for IIC, the suppliers and all other stakeholders. INTERSPORT’s high market share and the successful launch of Budget Sport are proof of an impressive track record on the Finnish market. Kesko’s respective know how, market power and financial strengths combined with the closeness of the current INTERSPORT organisation to the Russian market and their consumers are an ideal strategic fit and can be considered as a win-win situation for all parties involved. With this joint venture, INTERSPORT will sustainably grow within the Russian market and play a major role as an authentic, expert authority, multi-sport retailer,“ says Franz Julen, CEO IIC-INTERSPORT International Corporation.

The plan is to carry out the business arrangement by the end of this year. The implementation is subject to a final agreement on all the terms and conditions of the arrangement, approval by Russian competition authorities and the fulfilment of other implementation terms and conditions related to the transfer of financial assets. The arrangement is not expected to have a material impact on Kesko's sales, performance or financial position during the next 12 months.

ICC-Intersport International Company GmbH is an international sports retail marketing chain which consists of national companies and was established in 1968. The headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland. There are more than 5,300 INTERSPORT stores in 39 countries and the retail sales totalled €10.2 billion in 2010. Kesko has been a shareholder of the company since 1992. There are 56 INTERSPORT stores in Finland, and Intersport Finland Ltd is the market leader in sports retailing.

In its stock exchange release of 4 April 2011, Kesko said that it will vigorously increase its operations in Russia. Kesko Food will expand its operations by constructing new stores. The capital expenditure is estimated at €300 million in 2011-2015. At the same time with greenfielding, Kesko Food will continue to explore business acquisition opportunities in both St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Rautakesko has currently 13 K-rauta stores in Russia, ten of which are located in St. Petersburg and three in nearby areas of Moscow. There are two K-rauta stores under construction, which will be opened in Moscow in late 2011. The plan is to open ten more new K-rauta stores in 2012-2015. The capital expenditure will be some €300 million.

K-Plussa benefits now also available on mobile

Mon, 02 May 2011 15:36:05 GMT

”Users want to have access to a major part of information in electronic form via mobile terminal devices. The service now introduced by K-Plussa to its customers opens up a new channel in which following different benefits is easy," says K-Plus Oy's Managing Director Niina Ryynänen.

"A customer can choose the topics and the K-Group chains whose benefits he/she wants to follow. K-Plussa wants to be a frontrunner in leveraging new possibilities in order to deliver diversified and positive customer experiences."

The service provides several hundreds of nationwide instant benefits which cover the whole K-Plussa network of over 3,000 shopping places and more than 40 business partners.

K-Plussa actively develops mobile services

The application is immediately available for most mobiles in Finland, and in summer 2011, it will also be downloadable by iPhone and Android phones. At this initial stage, a mobile card operates as an information, communication and media channel.

”We believe that mobile services will be rapidly developed towards mobile customer loyalty and we are intensively examining the ways in which new possibilities can be leveraged," says Ryynänen.

Customers can register for the service at: mobiilikortti.com. There they can choose, in addition to a customer loyalty card, items of interest and chains, and download the application to their phones. Consumers receive a text message with a download link from which the application can be downloaded to the phone. The service is free of charge for consumers.

Itella Logistics and Rautakesko continue their long-term cooperation

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:15:51 GMT

Itella Logistics is launching a logistics center expansion project of over 70,000 square meters in Pennala, Orimattila. Itella Logistics and Rautakesko have agreed on the centralization of Rautakesko's domestic warehousing in Pennala. The new logistics center will utilize energy-efficient warehousing and heating technology.

The new logistics center will be built next to Itella Logistics' existing service warehouse on Jokimäentie in Pennala. The property will have state-of-the-art warehousing and heating technology. Collection, for example, will use voice control, and property heating will be based on energy-efficient terrestrial heat.

As a result of the expansion, Itella's storage space in Pennala will exceed 100,000 square meters. The construction of the new logistics center will begin in May 2011, and it will be completed in June 2013. In addition to Rautakesko's hardware and agricultural products, Pennala will be home to Itella Logistics' service warehouse functions related to interior decoration and fashion logistics in the Lahti region.

"The new logistics center will also account for Kesko's environmental policy in a positive manner. Due to business growth, we have been forced to implement additional space solutions in warehousing, which has increased the number of warehouses to five. For our customers, this will result in a more cost-effective and environmentally sound service of a higher quality", says Olli Salmivaara, Logistics Director of Rautakesko.

"Our log-term partnership with Rautakesko and the recovery of the economy makes it possible for us to continuentinue the Pennala expansion project. The total value of the investment is €61.5 million. This is a significant investment in the economic zone of Lahti, with excellent connections throughout Finland and good opportunities for obtaining workforce. Service centralization under the same roof enables more cost-effective operations for us. We can also better meet the logistics needs of our customers," says Jukka Pyykkö, Director, Itella Logistics.

Itella Logistics is Rautakesko's international logistics partner operating in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Russia. The partnership covers the warehousing, terminal functions and transport of hardware and agricultural products. Itella Logistics has provided Rautakesko with warehousing services in Finland since 2002.

In December 2010, the partnership was expanded through a transport agreement covering Finnish warehouse deliveries.

Furniture trade had a splendid start

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:42:18 GMT

Good results can primarily be attributed to improvements in our own work: sourcing, sales and logistics processes have been enhanced. Cost-efficiency has been improved by centralising all warehousing and terminal operations.

During the past couple of years, both chains have also implemented comprehensive sales and customer service training involving all personnel.

"In the speciality goods trade, customer encounters are very important. In accordance with our policy definition we want to meet our customer promises at all times", says Jussi Mikkola, President of Indoor Group.

As some customers make their purchasing decisions on the Internet, developing our home pages and electronic customer communications plays a key role in our plans for this year.

K-Group has the reliable furniture stores in Finland

Both of the chains have been recognised by customers. For the fifth time in succession, Asko was recently selected as the most reliable furniture store in Finland in the survey made for the Finnish Readers' Digest.

The Asko and Sotka chains appeal to slightly different target groups.

"In this business model of the two chains, Asko aims to be the leader in quality and service providing a competitive range of products, active and reliable service, and exiting stores. Sotka's objectives include price leadership while offering easy and straighforward shopping for its customers," describes Mikkola.

Asko's own sofa factory in Finland also contributes to the chain's quality image.

"Insofa Oy, which is located in Lahti, is of great importance to Asko's product range in particular."

The adoption of the euro by Estonia boosts sales

Though the furniture market has not improved considerably, President Jussi Mikkola expects that the upward trend of Asko and Sotka will further strengthen this year.

"Construction of new houses and changing home are increasing at a fast rate in Finland, creating a basis for the growth in the furniture trade, too. I also believe that the adoption of the euro will speed up economic recovery in Estonia.

Indoor has seven stores in Estonia and 79 stores in Finland - 48 in the Sotka chain and 31 in the Asko chain.

Kesko´s sales in January 2011

Higher definition pictures

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:12:46 GMT

Consumers see and hear HD technology in a sharper TV picture with deeper colours, as well as in higher quality sound.

All new TV sets in Musta Pörssi's selection are HD ready or Full HD ready. More and more often, digiboxes, Blu-ray players, tuner-amplifiers and home theatres are HD ready.

Antenna network boosts demand

According to Musta Pörssi's Purchasing Manager Jari Summanen, one of the main reasons for the popularity of HD technology is broadcasts over antenna networks. And although network operators have begun full HD broadcasts in the cable network, wide popularity will only be achieved after the service has been made more readily available.

Full HD broadcasts were begun in DNA's network for antenna households in the Greater Helsinki area in 2010. Anvia TV Oy will be the next network distributor, starting in 2011.

– Antenna network makes HD picture available easily and at reasonable cost. As Anvia starts the operation, the network will cover almost all of Finland. Even now, content producers offer several, but mostly pay channels.

What does the adoption of HDTV require of a television in an antenna network?

– If the model is equipped with a T2 tuner, it needs, as does a TV set in a cable system, a specific card module for the operator's card. If the TV does not feature a T2 tuner, you need a digibox which has one. These T2 network boxes will be available early this spring. I recommend a model with recording capability, i.e. hard disc.

Jari Summanen is confident that the demand for HD technology will dramatically increase, as an increasing supply will enable us to offer higher quality picture and sound at reasonable prices.

www.mustaporssi.fi

95E to be replaced by E10

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:59:36 GMT

The ethanol content of the 95-octane petrol most widely used in Finland will rise at the beginning of next year. Increasing the biofuel concentration in petrol is part of tackling climate change. The changeover is necessitated by the targets set by the EU for Finland for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the Renewable Energy Directive and the Fuel Quality Directive aimed to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels.

New petrol quality WILL BE supplied to petrol stations from the beginning of the year

The changeover to 95 E10 will not happen overnight. Instead, petrol station storage tanks will be refilled with the new petrol as soon as they become empty.

As the new 95 E10 petrol becomes available at a service station, the dispenser will be labelled with the new grade, 95 E10. The marking 98 E5 will be used for 98-octane fuel to designate that its maximum ethanol content is 5% v/v.

Check the compatibility of E10 with your vehicle

If you don't know if the new petrol suits the engine of your vehicle, it is advisable to refuel it with the 98 E5 protection grade petrol. The car’s octane requirement always has precedence over other fuel recommendations: instead of a lower octane petrol, a higher octane quality can be used, but not the other way round.

Additional information on the E10 petrol and a list of its compatibility with different car makes and models is available at the website www.e10bensiini.fi maintained by Motiva. The pages also provide information on its compatibility with motorcycles, ATVs and small machinery.

In case a non-E10 compatible car is accidentally refuelled with E10, there is no need to remove it from the fuel tank. It is recommended, however, that the vehicle is refuelled with the correct fuel as soon as about one half of the fuel mixture in the tank has been used.

Cars

The new 95 E10 is suitable for about 70% of passenger cars. Cars which cannot use it will, as matters stand, be refuelled by the 98 E5 petrol, which currently may contain up to 5% of ethanol.

There is also the high blend fuel E85, which may contain up to 85% of ethanol made of secondary raw materials. It can be used in so-called multifuel vehicles. E85 is suitable for, for example the multifuel versions of Volkswagen Passat and Audi A4.

Volkswagen
E10 is cleared for use in all Volkswagen petrol engine models starting from model year 1992, excluding the first generation FSI engine models.

E10 is not cleared for use in the following Volkswagen models:

MODEL	Engine displacement, cm3	Power, kW	Code	Year
Polo	1390	63	AXU	2002-2006
Golf IV	1598	81	BAD	2002-2004
Golf IV Variant	1598	81	BAD	2002-2006
Bora	1598	81	BAD	2002-2005
Golf V	1390	66	BKG	2004-2005
Gog V	1598	85	BAG	2004
Golf V	1984	110	AXW	2004
Touran	1598	85	BAG	2003-2004
Touran	1984	110	AXW	2004

Audi
E10 is cleared for use in all Audi petrol engine models starting from model year 1992, excluding the following models:

Audi A2 1.6 FSI 2002-2006
Audi A3 1.6 FSI 2001-2004
Audi A3 2.0 FSI 2001-2004
Audi A4 2.0 FSI 2001-2004
Audi A4 petrol engine models with OEM parking heater, of model years 2000-2007. E10 is not suitable for use during the heating season

Seat
E10 is cleared for use in the following Seat petrol engine models:

Exeo
Ibiza 2002 ->
Cordoba 2003 ->
Leon 1999 ->
Toledo 1999 -> excluding the 110 kW 2.0 FSI BLR engine up to 06/2004
Altea, XL, Freetrack 2004 -> excluding the 110 kW 2.0 FSI BLR engine up to 06/2004
Alhambra 2001 ->
Arosa 1997-2004

Boats

The compatibility of four-stroke outboards with 95 E10 is determined by the boat/engine combination.

Combinations with a built-in fuel tank contain two fuel system elements, one provided by the boat manufacturer and the other by the outboard engine manufacturer.

Further information on the Yamaha outboard engine compatibility with 95 E10 is available here.
.

Motorcycles

There is no single rule for the compatibility of motorcycles with the E10 petrol. For example, Yamaha recommends the use of normal 95E (98E for some models), but using E10 is possible in motorcycles and mopeds manufactured in 1990 and later, if the fuel's bioethanol content is 10% or lower. Some other brand may advise that E10 is unsuitable.

In case of old motorcycles, E10 compatibility is largely dependent on the fuel tank condition. The alcohol in E10 can corrode a deteriorated tank, but will not harm one in a good condition.

Small machinery

Most small machines, both two-stroke and four-stroke, on the Finnish market are compatible with the new fuel. However, members of the Power Equipment Section of the Association of Finnish Technical Traders recommend that alkylate petrol be the primary fuel to be used in the small machines manufactured, imported or marketed by them.

– Owing to its manufacturing method, the fuel for small machinery has low emissions and contains smaller quantities of, for example, solvents compared to others, which helps save the fuel system. Small machinery fuel burns very cleanly and even increases engine power and reduces carbon build-up. If not available, the E98 petrol should be used, and if it is unavailable, the E10 petrol, says Section Chairman Tuomas Kuivamäki.

If fuel is blended for a two-stroke engine, it is advisable to use good quality 2T oils, preferably brand specific ones. Good quality ensures a proper mix of oil and fuel, which then enables good engine lubrication. The higher the ethanol concentration in petrol, the more important is the good quality of oil.

Further information: www.e10bensiini.fi

A flying start in winter sports sales

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:40:24 GMT

"Winter is an important selling season for sports stores and last winter was an excellent one. And I believe that we will see even greater enthusiasm at the start of this winter season," says Juha Nurminen, President of Intersport Finland Ltd.

Sales of cross-country and alpine skiing equipment directly reflect the favourable snow conditions in the greater Helsinki area. Quilted outdoor clothing and winter shoes sell well throughout Finland.

"It seems that we won't have much to sell for discount at seasonal sales," says Nurminen.

An early winter took by surprise

Last winter was good for stores: they sold their stocks accumulated during several years and can now sell new merchandise. Abundant advance purchases for the winter were made last January-March, but winter came very early this year.

"The winter season is long and the advance deliveries of equipment from factories have been scheduled throughout the season until the last weeks of February. Now that the winter took us by surprise, we're making every effort to have goods to our stores earlier," comments Nurminen.

All-round grip skis and spiked running shoes on demand

Clear smash hits in cross-country skiing are the new Karhu, Peltonen and Fischer skis based on the all-round grip system, which were nearly sold out during the first wintry weekend in November. More skis are on the way, but the factories cannot manufacture skis for all the customers. All-round grip skis already account for one fifth of all skis sold. In alpine products, the twin tip skis preferred by the young are still popular.

"Jogging is a year-round activity nowadays. Spiked running shoes and winter running wear are available in all Intersport stores. Sales of Nordic skating equipment will also increase as soon as there is suitable natural ice on which to practise this sport," says Nurminen.

And after Christmas, there will be the annual women's fitness boom. Reebok's EasyTone trainers were the biggest hit in the autumn and Nurminen expects the demand for them to remain high right after Christmas.

Successful Christmas ahead for online retail

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:14:42 GMT

The good development can, among other things, be attributed to wider selections. Selections of toys, branded leisure clothing and cosmetics, in particular, have grown considerably.

"Sales of toys, above all, are booming and the total will double this year," says Mika Leiponen.

Fitness games and e-books are trendy gifts

In addition to toys, NetAnttila's most popular gifts this year will be different games.

Leiponen thinks that the sales of games will show a major rise now that all manufacturers have games based on movement sensors available. Both Xbox and PlayStation have launched their fitness-related games to the market just before Christmas.

Trendy Christmas gifts also include e-books and e-readers, recently introduced for sale.

"An e-reader is an excellent gift, for instance, to someone who wants to read 3-4 books at the same time. While carrying several printed books with you is impossible, e-reader books are light and easy to take along," notes Leiponen.

Online purchasing is easy

The number of visitors to the NetAnttila site has been at the high level throughout the year. Likewise, those interested in interior decoration have entered Kodin1.com more often than before: the number of visitors has grown by 15 percent since the beginning of the year.

"By far the greatest advantage of online stores is the ease of access. In the same time it takes to walk through a snow-covered city centre, you have done all your Christmas shopping online," describes Leiponen.

The new logistics centre will halve delivery times

The most expected thing in NetAnttila next spring is the opening of the new logistics centre in Kerava. So far, NetAnttila has been operating with logistics built on the mail order system, but the new logistics centre will significantly improve the efficiency of operations.

"Our aim is to halve the delivery times of products from one week to a few days by the introduction of the new system," says Leiponen.

www.netanttila.com

www.kodin1.com

K-retailers have local food at their heart

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:27:55 GMT

- K-retailers as a whole are a strong operator in issues related to local food.
Their direct purchases from regions totalled over €500 million in 2009 and mainly consisted of foods, says Kiiskinen.

Ari Ruissalo, the retailer of K-supermarket Länsiportti in Tampere, shares Kiiskinen's opinion.

- Local foods are K-store's strength. Depending on the season, the selection of my store includes 500-800 local products purchased from local farmers, for example, meat, eggs, vegetables and root crops, as well as products with longer shelf-lives. We K-retailers have the advantage of being able to order products which customers want to buy, says Ruissalo.

Local foods make product selections more diversified

Ruissalo encourages K-retailers not to hesitate to offer local products.
- You must not give up even if the sales did not get off to a good start. I'm convinced that in the long run, local foods will be a competitive advantage for us and make us stand out in the competition, says Ruissalo.
Ruissalo's store arranges events in which local producers present their products, customers can taste them and hear about the production. These events have been highly successful and generate added value to the store.

Producers' active involvement is needed

According to Anni-Mari Syväniemi, Ombudsman for Food Culture of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), cooperation between retailers and producers is a prerequisite for increasing the offer of local foods.

- Cooperation and communication must be developed among all operators in order for a better availability of local products. Individual products have not always been easily accepted in selections. Stores themselves must be active in seeking new products, whereas producers should join their forces in marketing, says Syväniemi.

- Local food has always been at heart for K-retailers, and I hope retailers take customers' needs into consideration when they compose their local product offer.

Local food was discussed in the "Lähiruokatreffit" event, arranged by the K-Retailers' Association for retailers and suppliers. Speakers included Anni-Mari Syväniemi, Ombudsman for Food Culture of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), Chairman Esa Kiiskinen of the K-Retailers' Association and Ari Ruissalo, the retailer of K-supermarket Länsiportti.

The first grain ship left Oulu for Germany

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:07:50 GMT

The grain reception warehouses of K-maatalous located in Oulu and Kalajoki have been filled at a record pace. The first ship arrived on Wednesday, 6 October in Oulu to take oats to the German grain market.

K-maatalous started receiving grain at the Oritkari harbour of the Port of Oulu in August. It opened the farmers of the Oulu region a direct channel to the grain export markets and an opportunity to capitalise on the increase of the grain export prices.

At the harbour, the grain reception and port services are carried out by Herman Andersson Oy. K-maatalous receives oats and barley.

TRADE WAS BRISK FROM THE START

The farmers of the region have benefited from the close location of the shipment area and the grain trade in Oulu has started more briskly than expected.

Based on the higher than expected quantities of grain, another shipload of grain will most likely leave for Germany before the year end.

Read more about the grain trade at K-maatalous web pages.

Kesko actively participates in the development of Hämeenlinna town centre

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:54:10 GMT

The Anttila and K-supermarket located in downtown Hämeenlinna will be converted into a K-citymarket. The work will start next spring and the new K-citymarket will be opened in autumn 2011. The property is owned by Esmero Property Oy. Retailing in K-citymarket Tiiriö, also in Hämeenlinna, will continue as usual.

Because of the transfer of the business, all employees of the Anttila department store will be transferred to K-citymarket under their previous conditions.

"We want to participate in the development of Hämeenlinna town centre and the K-citymarket will allow us to better serve local inhabitants," says Timo Huurtola, Kesko's District Director. The total investment in the development of Anttila and K-citymarket amounts to some 20 million euros.

"In this project, Kesko will follow the principles of sustainable development by building a new store in an existing property," adds Huurtola.

Energy-efficient construction

The latest energy-saving building technology will be used in the construction of the new K-citymarket. The condensation heat from refrigeration equipment of the some 9,200-square-metre-store will be used for heating the building.

Store signs will be illuminated with energy-saving LEDs and waste recovery will be improved to the extent that virtually no landfill waste is generated.

As the new K-citymarket will be located on the natural routes of people, it will be easy to reach, say, on way to or from work, by car or public transportation. When there is no need to make a separate shopping trip, carbon dioxide emissions remain lower, too. The store will also be easily accessible by foot or bike.

New Anttila to Hämeenlinnakeskus

The engine of the Hämeenlinnakeskus shopping centre will be an around 4,300-square-metre Anttila department store. The centre has been developed by NCC Property Development Oy and will be built by NCC Construction Ltd.

"Hämeenlinnakeskus will be a natural extension to the town centre. Besides the local inhabitants, it will also serve motorway traffic between Helsinki and Tampere," says Jorma Ahokas, Managing Director of NCC Property Development Oy.

"It will be easy to come to the shopping centre both from the motorway and downtown Hämeenlinna," he sums up. "The shopping centre will increase the overall urban atmosphere and create several new services, while also lifting the profile of the whole town.

Ahokas estimates that the project will be completed in 2014.

Further information:
Timo Huurtola, Kesko's District Director for Uusimaa, tel. +358 500 716273

Intersport freshened up its brand concept

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:27:21 GMT

At the same time, the competitive concept 'Shops for winners' that has been used for decades becomes history.

The best service and the best products

SPORT TO THE PEOPLE tells customers that Intersport provides the best service and the best products to all customers, irrespective of their performance level.

At the same time, the visual look of Intersport's all advertising is changing. Product and type pictures, price labelling, typography, the use of logos and store information are visible to customers in a new, fresh way.

Uniform look throughout the world

The new brand concept was launched in catalogue marketing in August and, in addition to extensive print marketing, SPORT TO THE PEOPLE is now seen, for example, in online marketing, on the chain's intranet site launched in September, in-store advertising material, to some extent in storefront identifiers, and plastic bags.

The new brand concept helps ensure that Intersport has a uniform look for customers across Finland and throughout the world both in the chain and store specific marketing. The SPORT TO THE PEOPLE concept will be expanded to cover store renovations, too. Next spring, a pilot store complying with the new international Intersport store concept will be opened in Finland and experience gained will be leveraged when introducing the concept to the other stores of the chain.

50 years of car selling experience in three generations

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:10:15 GMT

THE LAAKKONENS HAVE BEEN SELLING VOLKSWAGENS SINCE 1960

The father, Tauno Laakkonen, who began his career in timber trade, and his son, Reino Laakkonen, founded their first car dealership business, Joensuun Autokalusto Ay, on 1 July 1960.

From the very beginning, they represented Volkswagen, which was first imported by Wihuri and since 1977, by VV-Auto Oy.

Representations of other successful brands were added over the years, with Audi and Seat among the brands imported by VV-Auto.

Autotalo Laakkonen operates car dealerships in 20 towns ranging from the Greater Helsinki area to Kajaani. The newest outlet is Autotalo Laakkonen in Kuopio selling Volkswagens and Audis, which opened after renovation in August 2010.

The first years of the Laakkonens' first car dealership coincided with the best selling years of Volkswagen Beetle. The first Volkswagen Beetles in Finland were delivered to customers in the summer of 1950.

VV-Auto's biggest independent car dealer, Autotalo Laakkonen, sells every fourth Volkswagen and every fifth Audi sold in Finland. The new Audi A1 will be available toward the end of the year.

LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENTS IN A FAMILY ENTERPRISE

The Laakkonens' first car dealership employed ten people, and now the company has more than 1,000 employees. They have succeeded in maintaining the atmosphere of a family enterprise and a good team spirit. Many employments in Autotalo Laakkonen have lasted 30 or even 40 years.

The whole Laakkonen family has been working for the enterprise. Today, the car business is managed by Tauno Laakkonen's son, Yrjö, grandson Jyrki, and granddaughter Reetta.
The Laakkonens' business has expanded from timber and car trade to new product lines. The Laakkonens own the Kytäjä estate and are almost the sole owners of Pohjois-Karjalan Kirjapaino Oy, which publishes the Karjalainen newspaper.

The next generation of car dealers is growing up. Pictured on the left side of the Volkswagen are Reetta Laakkonen's children Moonika, Markus and Matias Laine, in front are Yrjö and Merja Laakkonen's children Kalle, Emma and Ville, and on the right side of the car are Jyrki Laakkonen's children Janne, Joona and Tommi Laakkonen.

EVERY CUSTOMER IS NUMBER ONE

The Laakkonens have always been able to identify each customer's individual needs and to listen to them. These principles date back to the early days of the dealership when salesmen went from house to house travelling across regions. In the spontaneous style of typical Northern Karelia people, Laakkonen's salesmen did business where ever they met people, be it in the marketplace, forest or bank.

"We take every customer seriously. The customer is always number one to us. No matter how small their questions may be, we never overlook them. And when we serve customers with small needs, they are willing to return in bigger business too", says Yrjö Laakkonen.