Pisiffik and Brugseni want young people to drink less

Pisiffik and Brugseni, who have been competing for customers' favor for many years, will now be the ones to spearhead a major joint campaign.

It starts on Monday and will try to change the alcohol culture of consumers, especially young people. The campaign will make people think more before drinking another beer or glass of wine.

This is the joint message from Pisiffik and Brugseni.

- Alcohol sales are decreasing in Brugseni. Sales have been falling continuously for the past six years.

- Now, together with Pisiffik, we will launch several initiatives to ensure that this development continues.

Drunk drinking risks accidents

- With the campaign, Brugseni and Pisiffik want young people to drink less and warn against drunken drinking, where young people drink to get drunk, says Brugseni's CEO Allan Kristoffersen to Sermitsiaq.

The definition of drunken drinking is that a person drinks five or more drinks at once. This risks accidents and violence and long-term damage to the body and liver.

With the campaign, Brugseni and Pisiffik will launch several joint initiatives and activities to reduce alcohol abuse and create a healthier alcohol culture in Greenland.

This will be done through concrete measures in stores, on social media, participation in the debate as well as a strengthened focus on normalizing more alcohol-free alternatives to alcohol.

In stores Pisiffik and Brugseni have already limited their areas with alcohol. This is due to the fact that alcohol is concentrated in the self-service departments and kiosks.

This means that alcohol is less part of the general grocery environment, and that customers are increasingly encountering alcohol-free alternatives in their daily shopping. This is part of the big story from the two grocery groups.

Theme week

In connection with week 18, i.e. next week, when Greenland has a theme week for alcohol culture, drinking patterns and the importance of creating a safe environment for children and young people, Brugseni and Pisiffik are seriously focusing on alcohol-free products.

“The alcohol-free week is an important occasion, but our work does not stop there. As grocery players, we encounter people in their everyday lives. And this obliges us to take responsibility for how alcohol is presented and made available,” says Brugseni’s Director Allan Kristoffersen.

Pisiffiks and Brugsenis stores will in the future have a larger selection of non-alcoholic products, increased visibility and activities that will make it easier and more inspiring to choose non-alcoholic in everyday life.

Large decrease in imports of alcohol

Both companies also point to an important nuance in the debate about alcohol consumption. Although the total alcohol import to Greenland increased in 2025, as mentioned above, this does not mean that consumers' alcohol consumption has increased accordingly.

– Import figures do not necessarily indicate actual consumption. Increasing imports can be due to, among other things, the build-up of stocks.

- The closest picture of consumption can be obtained by looking at what is actually sold directly to customers, says Per Steen Larsen, CEO of Pisiffik.

Both Brugseni and Pisiffik report a large drop in alcohol sales last year. This follows a trend that has been in place for several years.

- We are experiencing a significant drop in alcohol sales, and this is a development that we have seen over time. This indicates that there is a change in consumer behavior and that more people are choosing differently, says Allan Kristoffersen.

Competitors with shared responsibility

What is special about the campaign is that competitors Brugseni and Pisiffik are working together to try to tackle a common societal challenge.

Even if the grocery chains continue to sell alcohol, both companies want to play an active and responsible role in local communities, they say.

– We cannot consider ourselves neutral actors. Alcohol can negatively affect families, children and well-being, and therefore we want to be part of the solution right where we have the opportunity to make a difference.

– We will also invite more actors to join the partnership. There is a need for a long-term and strategic approach, where a broad circle of social actors is engaged, so that we can work together to change the alcohol culture and make it more normal to choose alcohol-free alternatives and communities, says Pisiffik Director Per Steen Larsen.

Alcohol-free initiatives

In Greenland Week 18 has helped to create a dialogue about alcohol habits over the years. Both companies experience that the focus on alternatives gives rise to reflection. Both among customers and employees.

– When more people become aware of alcohol-free alternatives, new conversations and new consumption patterns arise in a more responsible approach. It may seem like small steps, but for many it has a big impact on everyday life, says Allan Kristoffersen.

Long-term initiative

The initiatives are designed for the long term and will include, among other things, training of employees and information initiatives aimed at customers, so that the dialogue in stores can become more qualified and respectful.

– It is not only about where alcohol and alcohol-free products are placed on the shelves, but also about the meeting between employee and customer. That is why we are working on strengthening the employees' skills so that they are better equipped for the situations that arise in everyday life, says Pisiffik Director Per Steen Larsen.

The goal is to make alcohol-free choices more visible and natural in stores – not as an opt-out, but as an equal alternative, he says.

With the joint initiatives, Brugseni and Pisiffik want to contribute to increased well-being and to create more awareness about alcohol habits. Not only in week 18, but all year round.