Our pick of organic wines in the range at Systembolaget, the Swedish alcohol monopoly At some journalist tastings the organic products sometimes receive quite a bit of a beating. Sometimes it seems as if organic wine start on the track with minus points from the outset. Yes, there are some dull wines among the organic. [...]
Tag Archives | Systembolaget
Biggest wine suppliers to Sweden: Italy and South Africa
Italian wines overtook South African in 2012 as most popular During four years South Africa has been the best selling wine supplier country to Sweden. In 2012 they had to hand over the top spot to Italy. Sales of Italian wines increased strongly in 2012. Swedes bought 20% more wine from Italy in 2012 than [...]
Modern era commerce and customer service arrives at the Swedish alcohol monopoly
The Systembolaget alcohol monopoly in Sweden has been given green light by the government to start a trial with home delivery of alcohol. There has been an intense debate in Swedish political circles on this issue for some time; not even the government coalition parties have been in agreement. Some say it would be a [...]
Sweden has a broad range of wines, or not?
How does the fact of having a monopoly on retail sales influence the range of products on sale in Sweden? A few years back a new range of wines was introduced, the so called “On Order” range which means that the wine lover can choose from thousands of wines in addition to the normal range [...]
The range of products available at the Swedish monopoly is … great, good, or poor?
The Swedish retail monopoly for wine and spirits is managed by the government owned Systembolaget. It is one of the world’s biggest wine buyers (but not the biggest). It basically controls what wines are available on the Swedish market although in recent years it has become a little fuzzier, or “liberalised”, with internet shops and [...]
The wine shops on the internet, are they all rubbish?
This will give you yet another curious view on the Swedish wine scene and the Swedish journalist community. In Sweden there is a retail monopoly. But since a few years back, thanks to EU regulations, Swedes are allowed to buy wine from sellers who are based in other EU countries. This has sparked a budding [...]
Sexism and equality in wine packaging
What do you think is most suggestive? Stylised pouting lips and the name “Wacky Chicks”, or A young girl with a flimsy skirt (petticoat?), with a wistful man with a flower, and the name “Untouched”? A while back we told you the story of a Swedish wine importer that had had his wine banned from [...]
Midsummer – the peak of Scandinavian boozing
We only have numbers from Sweden but we suspect that the situation is similar in other Nordic countries. Midsummer is one of the most important Swedish holidays. Only Christmas can rival. Midsummer is a bank holiday in reality if not in principle. This year it was celebrated on June 24. (In reality it is the [...]
Wine auction in Stockholm
Even on the Swedish monopoly market there exists since a few years back wine auctions. It is of course the monopolist itself, the Systembolaget, who organises the auction. At the beginning of June they held the spring auction that ended with a final sales value of SEK 5.9 million Swedish kronor (640,000 euro), which was [...]
Bag-in-box wines at the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget
From a wine perspective this is of moderate interest. But from an economic and business perspective it can be interesting. In Sweden more than half of all wine that is sold in the monopoly shops (“Systemboalget”) are sold in bag-in-box. In Sweden they call it box wine. Other countries have other names for it: cubitaner [...]
Can a Swedish resident import wine for personal consumption, without having to go through the monopoly?
This is a question that pops up quite often, both from Swedish residents and from wine producers / wine sellers. This is a first version of the answer, perhaps not 100% exact (it is difficult to be that) nor 100% to be taken as legal advice: Yes he can. Under certain conditions. Since a few [...]
Can a Swedish resident import wine for personal consumption, without having to go through the monopoly?
“Can a Swedish resident import wine for personal consumption, without having to go through the monopoly, or is it completely out of the question?” This is a question that pops up quite often, both from Swedish residents and from wine producers / wine sellers. This is a first version of the answer, perhaps not 100% [...]
Rural sales of locally produced wines and spirits to be allowed in Sweden?
There is currently a debate raging in Sweden on an issue that seen from the outside seems peripheral to say the least. Nevertheless it has escalated to become the most important item in the Swedish government’s review of its alcohol policy. Sweden has a monopoly on alcohol sales in the retail sector. The only shop [...]
Organic products grow with 50% at the Swedish alcohol monopoly
Systembolaget, Sweden’s retail monopoly for alcohol, reports an increase in sales of 50% for organic products, including wine, for the third quarter 2010 compared to Q3-09. What the increase is for wine only is not reported. The total market share of organic products at the retail monopoly is 3%. Systembolaget carries 117 organic products in [...]
Luxury DRC wines from 2006 to be released in Sweden at bargain prices on October 19
The Swedish retail monopoly Systembolaget has announced that they will release the long awaited lot of wines from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti on October 19. It is various cuvées from DRC from the 2006 vintage which have been resting in the monopoly cellars for quite some time. The top wine is the Romanée [...]
New study shows the environmental impact of wine packaging: ”bag is best”
Systembolaget, the Swedish retail monopoly, has had a study made to analyse the environmental impact of different types of wine packaging. The conclusion was that wine in bag (bag-in-box without the box) has the least environmental impact. However, they do not quite say it that way. Instead this: “bag-in-box, bags and cartons have over-all a [...]
DRC wines on ice until fair monopoly trade is invented
Some of the world’s most expensive wines come from Domaine de la Romanée Conti in Burgundy. They can go for around 4000€. Per bottle. The Swedish monopoly Systembolaget received its allocation of the 2006 wines early 2009. They have still not been sold in the monopoly stores though. According to WOW News there is a [...]
Record wine sales expected in Sweden
According to the forecast at the end of last year 2009 will be a record year for wine sales in Sweden. If December sales were as expected (as hoped for, is probably not the right expression in this country) sales for the full year would reach 174 million litres of wine, well above the last [...]
The monopoly model gains international supporters? More countries adopt monopoly?
They are discussing a reintroduction of the monopoly model for selling alcohol in the country. A working group is toiling to present a proposal in March 2010. The Prime Minister, who has initiated the project, has already previously introduced strict limitations on the sale of alcohol, e.g. by forbidding internet sales, we read in Vitisphere.com. [...]
“The world’s smartest way to sell alcohol”
Usually, this is a story that would only appear in the Swedish edition of the BKWine Brief but this is so outrageous so we have to share it with everyone. In a recent issue of one of the biggest daily paper the Swedish monopoly retailer of wine and spirits, Systembolaget, run a two page ad. [...]
The Systembolaget profit = 833 million SEK
The net profit for 2008 for Systembolaget AB, the Swedish retail alcohol monopoly, reached 833 M SEK (76 M euro). Total turnover increased from 20.2 M SEK to 21.3 M SEK and sales measured in volume pure alcohol grew with 2.7%. The CEO, Anitra Steen, is keen to point out the benefits of having a [...]
2.3 million euros for indoctrination and propaganda
No, we’re not talking about the French anti-wine campaigns. 2.3 million euro (25 M SEK to be precise) is the budget that the Swedish retail monopoly Systembolaget spends on advertising in a year, according to numbers released at their AGM recently. But don’t get it wrong, they are not making publicity for wine or spirits. [...]
91 % of all wine cost less than 9 euro
Or to be precise: 91 % of all wine sold in Sweden through the government owned monopolist Systembolaget (having a 50 % market share!) cost less than 9.32 euro (less than 100 kr; 1 krona = 0.932 euro). Here are the ranges: -39 kr: 0.1 % 40-49 kr: 5.1 % 50-59 kr: 24.1 % 60-69 [...]
Best selling countries in Sweden
This is the top list of wine origins, from the sales statistics from the Swedish government owned monopoly retailer Systembolaget. The stats concern wine : 1. South Africa, 16.6% market share (change: +10.7 %) 2. Italy, 16.3 % (+10.9 %) 3. Australia, 15.5 % (-1.9 %) 4. Spain, 13.7 % (-1.7 %) 5. France, 9.4 [...]
Biggest wine importers in Sweden
It’s only a partial truth since the state owned monopoly retailing chain Systembolaget AB only accounts for 50% of sales of alcohol in Sweden (yes, actually true), but this is the top list of their wine suppliers in 2008, with their respective market shares. 1. V&S Vin & Sprit Group, 20% 2. Fondberg, 7.6 % [...]
New CEO for Systembolaget, the Swedish monopoly
The Swedish government has appointed the successor to Anitra Steen, CEO of Systembolaget AB, the Swedish alcohol retail monopoly. The future CEO is Magdalena Gerger, currently Vice President at Arla Foods with a career history including Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Diageo, Tampax. According to some press info she has also during a part of her [...]
Top ten wines at Systembolaget
Systembolaget is the monopoly wine retailer in Sweden and (as a consequence) one of the largest wine and spirits retailers in the world. Here are some top-ten sales lists for January to August 2008: Red wines sold in bottle: – Hidden Rock Petit V Cab S 410,105 bottles – Penfolds Rawson’s Retr Shir Cab 356,099 [...]
The CEO of Systembolaget, the Swedish monopoly, to resign
Anitra Steen has announced her resignation, well in advance of May 2009, which is the date she has set for the end of her term as CEO of the Swedish monopoly wine and spirits retailer Systembolaget AB. At that date she will have been in charge of the company for 10 years and will celebrate [...]
The Swedish wine and spirits monopoly makes 39 million in profit
The gross profit at the Swedish monopoly retailer was 39 million euro (366 M SEK) in 2007. It is a drastic decrease from 2006 when the profit was 64 M euro (602 M SEK). The Systembolaget explains the difference with that the trading margins were decreased in 2007 and they made less profits from selling [...]
Australia top-seller in Sweden
The ranking of the most popular wine countries at the Swedish monopoly retail chain Systembolaget (September 2007) is as follows. Australia has grown with 25% mainly due to a few successful launches of bag-in-box and tetra wines. (Percentages indicate market share) 1. Australia 17.3% 2. South Africa 16.1% 3. Italy 15.5% 4. Spain 14.6% 5. [...]
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