Year: 2022

The Finnish Commerce Federation and the Finnish Grocery Trade Association PTY have prepared a package of materials to support the food debate, including proposals for solutions to the challenges facing the food supply chain

The debate on the position of primary food producers and the distribution of profits and increased costs in the food supply chain has accelerated and intensified over the past year. As the year is coming to a close, commerce has prepared the Kaupan näkökulmia ruokakeskusteluun (‘Commerce’s view of the food debate’) material package to declare its stance, to open up the situation in the market and to provide facts for the, occasionally, biased discussion.

The Finnish Commerce Federation condemns walkouts and work stoppages     

The Finnish Commerce Federation condemns the walkouts and work stoppages against companies in the commerce sector as illegal industrial action. These disturbances reduce confidence in the functionality of the collective agreement system as a whole. The measures taken during the Christmas trade, which is essential for the commerce sector, also cause disproportionate harm to commerce companies and customers.   

Satisfaction with the speciality goods trade improves since last year – domestic stores improve their position

Since last year, customer satisfaction has increased in all the speciality and household goods trade sectors studied. In particular, domestic chains have improved their position in customer satisfaction, service experience and customer loyalty. Although customer satisfaction in the grocery trade did not increase, the average is still clearly higher than in other sectors.

Cooperation between the Finnish Commerce Federation and Tampere University of Applied Sciences will increase the digital business competence of people working in the commerce sector

The Finnish Commerce Federation and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) are launching a digital business study module that offers employees working in the commerce sector the opportunity to develop their skills through practical courses. The course package will be available in the study selection of the Open University of Applied Sciences.

Company restraining order effective in Sweden—The Finnish Commerce Federation and the Federation of Finnish Enterprises: This is also needed in Finland

The Finnish Commerce Federation and the Federation of Finnish Enterprises say that Finnish companies should be able to seek a restraining order for individuals that cause constant disturbance. In Sweden, the company restraining order system has been in place in the commerce sector for more than a year, and the initial experiences have been positive. Disruptive behaviour has been an issue in the service sector, in particular. Customers, employees and companies need a safe place to access and provide services, the federations say.

Government report on the future boosts reform and international competitive strength of commerce sector

The Finnish Commerce Federation considers the report on the future of the commerce sector approved by the government as a welcome and necessary development as the competitive strength of the sector must be protected. The Finnish Commerce Federation is satisfied with aspects such as the emphasises of the research, development and innovation (RDI) operations that enable utilising the opportunities created by digitalisation. On the other hand, city planning and the regulation of both alcohol and pharmacies would have required bolder reforming.   

Responsibility increasing in Finnish attitudes – people willing to pay for the sustainability of products  

The majority of Finnish people consider buying sustainable products to be the measure of a responsible consumer. Moreover, they are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, and “pioneer digital shoppers” in particular have become increasingly willing to pay during the pandemic. The majority of the Finns would like to favour shops that fulfill their corporate social responsibility in Finland, but the willingness to pay for it is slightly lower.