Brugseni is chasing more growth and earnings

The battle for customers' favor and money is fierce in the grocery industry. And it has hardly been tougher than now. It is an international trend that has also hit Greenland.

Greenland's second-largest grocery chain Brugseni, which is owned by 32,000 cooperative members and members in Greenland, and whose biggest competitor is the country's largest grocery chain Pisiffik, is now seriously ramping up its ambitions.

The goal is to get significantly more growth in revenue and thus earnings. The sole purpose is to be able to invest and give even more back to society.

Allan Kristoffersen, CEO and Managing Director of Kalaallit Nunaanni Brugseni, KNB, commonly known as Brugseni, does not hide this in an interview with Sermitsiaq.

- We have an ambitious earnings plan, and within a few years Brugseni will earn significantly more money than today, he says.

Last year, Brugseni thus gave a little over 26 million kroner back to society and the members of Divi Plussi through Brugseni's dividend membership program.

New plan: "Brugseni shows the way"

Brugseni, one of Greenland's largest companies, is chasing new customers in order to grow its earnings. This will not least happen in the three largest tourist towns of Ilulissat, Nuuk and Qaqortoq, he says.

In the coming time, Brugseni will start to roll out a new strategic plan, of which the earnings plan is a part. The plan, which is a strategy for 2026-28, has been named "Brugseni shows the way".

The grocery chain's board and management have been working on the new strategy, together with 50 key employees, during the last months of 2025.

- We want to create a healthier, stronger and more responsible business in the future, where we take care of the great social responsibility we have.

- At the same time, we are creating the best conditions for developing tomorrow's leaders to take the best possible care of their employees and local operations, says Allan Kristoffersen.

Before Brugseni, he had a career in Denmark, which culminated in the position of CEO and member of the group management team in the grocery giant COOP.

Investing in training new managers

Last year, Brugseni had a profit after tax of just over seven million kroner. This turned three years of negative economic development with a deficit into a profit.

The growth in revenue was due, among other things, to increased summer sales due to an influx of more tourists and the inauguration of a new and modern supermarket, Brugsen Natalie, in the Nuuk suburb of Nuussuaq.

And it has been considerably faster to turn a deficit into a profit than the CEO had thought.

- We are making money again, but it is far from enough. In the coming years, we will have to invest a lot in our employees and stores.

- The goal is to reach annual earnings of 20 to 25 million kroner in the next few years, says Allan Kristoffersen.

Among the initiatives in the strategic plan "Brugseni leads the way" are, in addition to investments in facilities and stores, the addition of more Greenlandic products to the shelves, greater focus on health and responsibility, and a sharper focus on good offers and pricing.

In addition, a Brugseni Academy will be established to train the company's future managers. Among other initiatives, the plan is to deliver the strongest supermarket operation and earnings in the grocery industry in Greenland.

Large Nuuk store to be expanded

Last year, Brugseni had a turnover of just over 1.1 million kroner. The goal is to have annual growth of four to five percent over the next three years, the CEO says.

- This is based, among other things, on the expansion of the store in Ilulissat, which we are currently working on. We will expand our large store in the city center of Nuuk over several rounds.

- Brugseni has very good growth in the three major tourist towns of Ilulissat, Nuuk and Qaqortoq, where we are focusing on even more growth, says the CEO.

Allan Kristoffersen adds that the new international airport in Nuuk, which opened at the end of 2024, as well as the new international airport in Ilulissat and the new regional airport in Qaqortoq, both of which are expected to open this year, are of great importance for Brugseni's growth, because over the next few years, even more tourists are expected to flock to the country than before.

In recent years, a large million kroner amount has been invested in expanding the grocery chain's stores and facilities. Brugseni has 17 stores in eight towns.

In order to give all citizens in the Nuuk suburb of Nuusssuaq a better and more up-to-date store, Kalaallit Nunaanni Brugseni opened Brugseni Natalie in June last year. This year, investments will be made in the main store in the city center of Nuuk and in the store in Ilulissat.

- Later we will have a look at our other facilities and stores. They will have a real boost. Among other things, we will have invested a large amount of millions in Sisimiut, says Allan Kristoffersen.

Last year, Brugseni put a project to build a new store in the city on hold. The project has not been shelved.

- We have not given up on building a new store in Sisimiut. Now we need to look at when we should start. But no decision has been made yet, says Allan Kristoffersen.