DOWNSTREAM: Provision of ‘Green’ Products
Who: Coop
Country: Denmark
Description of initiative: As a part of the environmental policy, Coop, Denmark, has committed the organization to actively promote the sales of products with less environmental impact. In that, third-party labeled products are of high importance. Since the beginning of the 1980s, when Coop launched the first organic products, the sales of organic, eco-labeled, fair-trade, FSC and MSC labeled products have been growing – in some periods with high growth rates.
Two specific objectives and related actions to promote green products were launched in 2009.
The first objective is to ensure the broadest product range of organic products on the Danish market, which has been achieved by working closely with suppliers and by running successive campaigns. Despite the financial crisis, the growth rate of organic products is still positive – with 5% in 2009 and 4% in the first six months of 2010. By the end of 2009, the organic product range included around 2400 items.
The second objective is to double the sales of eco-labeled products by the end of 2011. The major initiative is to develop a broader product range and thus enlarge the number of eco-labeled products on the shelves. This is closely linked to an overall decision to strengthen Coops own “responsibility” brand Änglamark. In combination with focused campaigns over the last couple of years, the effort until now has been rewarded by a growth rate on the sales of eco-labeled products at 55% in 2009. By September 2010, the objective of doubling the sales by the end of 2011 has been achieved by more than 60%.
Effect of initiative: Larger product range of “green” products and continuously growing sales. Today, 6.6 % of Coops turnover derives from organic products. According to Coops own impression, quite a number of consumers choose to shop in Coop stores because of the product range and Coops image on “responsibility”. Time period: Ongoing since the beginning of the 1980s, but intensified during the last years.
Future work: Developing the range of ‘green’ products is an ongoing priority at Coop.
More information:
Contact: Katrine Milman, Coop
Links: (in Danish)Coops miljøpolitik(in Danish)Coops 10 handlinger om miljø og økologi
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency Strandgade 29 DK-1401 Copenhagen K Phone: +45 7254 4000
Copenhagen Resource Institute Højbro Plads 4, Mezzaninen DK-1200 Copenhagen K Phone: +45 7254 6160
The Nordic Council of Ministers Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen K Phone: +45 3396 0200
Key trends in environmental impacts from consumption in Nordic countries reveal that more action is needed.
The role of retailers in the transition towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (PDF, 424KB)
Potential policies to promote SCP via the food retail sector in Nordic Countries (PDF, 400KB)
Read more about the project (PDF, 108KB)