Pirkka is the first private label to be admitted to the List of Trademarks with a Reputation

Pirkka has been admitted to the List of Trademarks with a Reputation kept by the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR). Admission to the list of trademarks well-known in Finland is by application. The list is public and aimed to provide information and help avoid trademark disputes. Being admitted to the list also offers a well-known brand additional protection across trademark classes.

The NBPR initiated the List of Trademarks with a Reputation in August 2007. According to the NBPR, the list has raised a lot of interest and generated lots of inquiries. Admission to the list is based on strong evidence of a trademark's wide recognition in Finland.

The Pirkka product range, which has been part of Finnish consumers' lives for more than 20 years, is an important competitive asset for K-food stores. There are over 1,700 Pirkka products, and new ones are being continuously developed. The sales of Pirkka products grew by 16.7% in 2007.

"Surveys show that for customers, Pirkka products represent excellent quality, safety and Finnish origin, as well as permanent affordability. Our starting point is that the customer has the right to know what he is eating. Kesko is the only retail group in Finland to have a test kitchen of its own using long-term development, research and testing to assure the safety and uniform quality of all Pirkka products," says Vice President Ari Akseli of Kesko Food.

Recipes created around Pirkka products are published in the K-Group's customer loyalty magazine Pirkka and the largest Finnish online cookery book Pirkka.fi. The recipes are also presented in the K-RuokaPirkka leaflet that is published weekly and available in all K-food stores and on the TV programme "What are we having today?". These recipes form an essential part of the affordable food solutions and services offered to customers.

Pirkka products have received several awards for their good quality and the innovativeness of the range. In 2005, Pirkka was the only private label product selected in the Superbrands Finland 2005 book, an insight into 50 top Finnish brands. The same year, Pirkka Snack Carrots was the first private label product to be chosen as the Finnish Food Product of the Year. In 2007, Pirkka Luomu organic carrot puree was chosen as the Organic Product of the Year by an expert jury assembled by Luomuliitto, an association promoting organic farming.

Photos of Pirkka products can be downloaded at http://www.pirkka.fi/ruoka/pirkka_tuotteet/pirkka_tuotehaku.

Further information:
Ari Akseli, Vice President, Commerce, Kesko Food Ltd, tel. +358 1053 28900

Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations inthe Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, and Belarus.