Willys opens in Umeå

A new Willys store is set to open for business in Umeå on Wednesday, 16 November, at 8 a.m. Willys today is a chain with over 100 stores, and the store in Umeå is store number 101. The store has an extended range of attractively priced electronics, kitchen products, textiles, toys, and more. Willys seeks to create a practical and convenient discount marketplace where shoppers can meet most all of their household needs. The new Willys store is an attempt to satisfy this demand in the discount segment.

“Willys’ business concept is to offer Sweden’s cheapest bag of groceries. The chain’s establishment in Umeå brings the market and entirely new discount retailing experience, and hopefully the customers will feel the same,” says Urban Dahl, President of Willys Lågpris AB. The store is located at Gräddvägen 1 in Ersboda. After standing vacant for a number of years, the building that houses the store has been completely renovated. The store’s manager is Fredrik Sundberg, who comes most recently from a corresponding position at Willys in Skellefteå, where he spent 3½ years. “The retail food market is under-established in Umeå, so we are looking forward to being able to offer customers lower overall prices with a strong focus on fresh products,” says Sundberg. Willys is today Sweden’s largest discount food chain, with a wide range of products and a special focus on fresh products such as fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy products. The stores have an offering of some 7,500 items, covering 95% of consumers’ annual food purchases. Willys’ grocery prices are among the lowest in Sweden. The main factor behind the low prices is that the stores are run highly efficiently with low overhead. This efficiency is achieved, among other things, through purchases of large volumes by a central purchasing organization. The Willys chain includes a total of 101 stores. The goal is to have 120 wholly owned stores by 2008. Axfood also has 45 Willys hemma stores, which is a chain of small discount stores. The Willys Umeå store will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. For further information, please contact: Urban Dahl, President, Willys AB, tel. +46-70-562 88 41 Fredrik Sundberg, Store Manager, Willys Umeå, tel. +46-70-215 57 77 Bodil Hornbäk, Public Relations, Willys AB, tel +46-702-99 50 29