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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/economy/swedish-food-retail-in-few-hands-ica-and-axfood-dominate/

Economy

Swedish food retail in few hands – ICA and Axfood dominate

Published 20 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The discount chains that exist in many parts of Europe have never managed to establish themselves in Sweden.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

In Sweden, only five players control 98% of food sales, an unusually high level of market concentration compared to the rest of Europe. Experts say the limited competition makes it difficult for smaller companies to enter the market and can drive up prices.

Food prices in Sweden have risen by 25% in just three years, while grocery chains are posting high profits and their executives are receiving million-dollar bonuses. Over the past week, Swedes have been urged to boycott the major food chains in protest at the high prices, which the campaigners say are due to a lack of competition.

Sweden stands out in Europe with an unusually high concentration of ownership in the food industry. A handful of players dominate 98% of the market, with ICA and Axfood being the largest with 49.9% and 21.9% respectively in 2023. Coop accounted for 17%, while Lidl and City Gross had a market share of 6.4% and 3.2% respectively in 2023. Axfood includes Willys, Hemköp, Tempo and last year, in 2024, City Gross was also bought by the group.

Few countries have a food market dominated by such a small number of players, according to Christian Jörgensen, PhD in economics and researcher at the Agrifood Economics Center at Lund University.

– This is partly due to Sweden’s many sparsely populated areas, where larger players find it easier to establish themselves. Partly because the low-price chains, which are found around Europe, have never really gained a foothold in Sweden, he says to TV4 News.

Swedish prices increasing faster than Finnish

Food prices have increased in several European countries, including Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania, where they have risen at record rates. However, there is a big difference between Sweden and neighboring Finland, where prices have risen the slowest in the EU. In comparison, prices in Sweden have risen two and a half times as fast as in Finland, according to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

According to Jörgensen, the high food prices in Sweden cannot be attributed to a single cause, but several factors may be at play. It is also difficult to determine whether some operators are charging unjustifiably high prices. At the same time, he believes that the concentrated market may well contribute to higher prices.

– It is incredibly difficult for smaller players to break into the market, and the fewer players, the higher the risk of a lack of competition, which can increase prices, he says.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-major-general-leave-the-ottawa-treaty-and-buy-anti-personnel-mines/

Sweden

Swedish Major General: “Leave the Ottawa Treaty and buy anti-personnel mines”

The new cold war

Published today 8:46
– By Editorial Staff
Karlis Neretnieks argues that today's anti-personnel mines cannot be compared to those that kill thousands of civilians every year.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Recently The Nordic Times highlighted how the defense ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia announced that they intend to withdraw from the international convention banning the use of anti-personnel mines.

In early April, Finnish officials also confirmed that they are also preparing to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty. Retired Swedish-Latvian Major General Karlis Neretnieks now wants Sweden to do the same and start buying “smart” anti-personnel mines.

– My opinion is clear. We should do what the Finns did, leave the Ottawa Agreement, and acquire anti-personnel mines, declares Neretnieks, who has also previously served as President of the Swedish National Defense College.

He explains that within the NATO military pact, there is a plan for the Swedish army to be able to move quickly to Finland and form joint defense forces with Finnish soldiers in the event of a possible Russian attack. In such a scenario, he argues, the armies of both countries must have similar rules of engagement.

– What should we do when Swedish commanders have to command Finnish units? Should a Swedish commander tell a Finnish commander that you are not allowed to use anti-personnel mines because you are under Swedish command? That’s not how it works in reality.

Kills thousands annually

Finland’s defense minister, Antti Häkkänen, insists that “mines are only for war” and “will not be scattered in the countryside“. However, over the years, anti-personnel mines have caused enormous civilian suffering – and in 2021 alone, an estimated 5,500 people were killed by them – many of them children.

Millions of undestroyed anti-personnel mines remain in former war zones around the world – and can detonate at any time when someone accidentally steps on them. This is also one of the primary reasons why some 160 countries around the world have committed to stop stockpiling, producing or using them.

However, Neretnieks argues that today’s modern anti-personnel mines can be turned on and off by remote control – and he emphasizes that some models stop working after a certain amount of time.

– The reason for removing the mines was that they were often left behind after the fighting was over. Then they were dangerous for children, farmers and anyone walking around the terrain… I’m advocating that we abandon the Ottawa agreement and get these anti-personnel mines with self-destruction, he continues.

“Were far too enthusiastic”

Sweden signed the convention in 1998, the year after it was drafted, but the major general says it was a big mistake.

– I think we were far too enthusiastic about a ban at the height of the discussions in 1996-1997. It was quite obvious that the Russians had no intention of signing anything like that, he states.

It should be noted that it is not only Russia that has chosen not to sign the convention. Major military powers such as the US and China have so far also refused to sign the Ottawa Treaty, as have Israel, India, Iran and both North and South Korea.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/the-military-industrial-complex-excels/

Sweden

Comment: The military-industrial complex excels

The war in Ukraine

Jenny Piper

In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, the Swedish military-industrial complex is growing faster than ever. The question is no longer who benefits from the war – but why so few dare to talk about it.

Published today 7:23
– By Jenny Piper
Soldier with Saab Bofors Dynamics NLAW anti-tank missile.
{ $opinionDisclaimer }

A look at the ten largest Swedish companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange reveals that the Wallenberg family is the majority owner in most of them, topping the list with its holding company Investor, valued at approximately SEK 860 billion (€77 billion).

newcomer to the list is the defense conglomerate Saab, which is now reaching new record levels on the stock exchange after rising over 2% and surpassing the historic industrial company Sandvik in market value.

It is interesting to note that before the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, SAAB B had a market capitalization of just under SEK 30 billion (€2.7 billion) and that Sandvik SAND at the same time was worth about SEK 280 billion (€25 billion).

Three years and countless stock rallies later – this year alone the stock has surged nearly 90% – the picture looks completely different. Recently, the industrial giant was surpassed in market value, and as of today, Saab is worth SEK 239 billion compared to SEK 238 billion for Sandvik.

That people don’t understand that the entire Ukraine war, with ingredients like war-mongering, military buildup, “standing behind the Ukrainian people”, “fighting for freedom and democracy”, and so on, is merely a facade for the military-industrial complex – which uses Ukraine as a playground and exploits the Ukrainian people to the fullest to enrich itself without any interest in stopping the suffering it has helped create.

The Swedish establishment works in symbiosis with Brussels to bring us down, but the Swedish people are so incredibly indoctrinated that I fear there is no salvation for this country, where citizens willingly line up to praise the war profiteers and help contribute to the collapse instead of acting against the abuse of power.

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/moderate-youth-league-raise-the-retirement-age-to-finance-swedens-rearmament/

Sweden

Moderate Youth League: Raise the retirement age to finance Sweden’s rearmament

The new cold war

Published yesterday 17:32
– By Editorial Staff
Raising the retirement age to fund the Swedish defense effort is not expected to be well received by the electorate.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

As reported by The Nordic Times, Swedish politicians have decided to borrow at least SEK 300 billion (€26 billion) for what is described as the “biggest rearmament since the Cold War”.

Douglas Thor, chair of The Moderate Youth League (MUF), fully supports the military investment – but emphasizes that it should be paid for by older Swedes through a higher retirement age.

The governing politicians agree that it is reasonable to borrow the equivalent of €4,400 for each Swede of working age for the military project, and analysts have noted that it will largely be future generations of Swedes who will have to pay for the decisions made today.

– It’s clear that future generations will have to take a bigger hit than if we were to just go on this year’s budget. But it also seems reasonable that future generations should help finance reconstruction because it will also benefit them, commented, for example, Daniel Waldenström, professor of economics, and continued:

– It’s simply that they will have to pay a bit more tax as a result of this. They will have to pay taxes to finance our repayment of these loans.

“In the long run, everyone will pay”

Just like the other establishment parties’ youth wings, MUF applauds the military investment, but believes older Swedes must bear a greater share of the cost – not just the younger generation.

– Borrowing money is not free. The costs are postponed to the future, which means that the younger generation has to pay. We are happy to contribute, but it is unreasonable that we alone should bear the cost, they say.

Thor’s solution is to raise the age at which older people can start drawing their pension from the current 63 to 67.

– Today, people can start drawing their income and premium pensions at the age of 63. We believe it is reasonable to raise it. One possible age is 67, confirms the Muf leader, who states that raising the retirement age is a much better option than raising taxes.

– In the long run, everyone will pay because we are all getting older. When our country has faced difficult challenges in the past, we have coped by working more, Thor argues.

Unpopular measure

Raising the retirement age to fund military spending is not expected to be a particularly popular message with voters – but Thor says this does not matter much.

– There are many issues that were previously unthinkable, but which have been reconsidered in this serious international situation. For example, loan financing has been reconsidered. It should be possible to do the same with regard to this issue.

According to Muf’s calculations, if older Swedes worked two years longer than they do today, this would mean around SEK 30 billion (€2.6 billion) extra to the public purse annually – about half the contribution needed to meet the government’s target of spending 3.5% of GDP on defense.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/fewer-swedish-women-want-to-have-children-a-societal-change/

Sweden

Fewer Swedish women want to have children: “A societal change”

Population replacement in the West

Published yesterday 14:11
– By Editorial Staff
Birth rates across the Western world are at alarming levels
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

One in four young women now say they are unwilling or reluctant to have children in the future, while birth rates are at historically low levels.

Midwife and professor Tanja Tydén points out that there are things that society can do to try to get the birth rate going again, if only the political will exists.

The Nordic Times has previously highlighted the study from Uppsala University, which shows that only 75 percent of young women in Sweden today say they want to have children – a sharp decline from 91 percent just ten years ago.

Of those who answered why they did not want children, most said they simply had no desire to become parents. Health reasons were the second most common reason and the third most common was that they valued their freedom more than having children. Economic reasons came fourth and the fifth most common reason given by women was concern about alleged climate change and overpopulation.

– It’s a societal change… There are far more people now than before who do not want to have children. A quarter of women say they are hesitant or don’t want to, explains Tanja Tydén, a midwife and professor at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Uppsala University.

“Some are afraid of the climate threat”

She points out that only in the last decade has there been a sharp decline in the proportion of women who want to have children, and that there are several different explanations for why family formation is less popular today.

– Some say they simply don’t want children, others say they value their freedom, and some say they fear the threat of climate change.

– One group has said that the economy is driving this, she continues.

Although some of the factors are difficult to change politically, she points out that society and politicians can actually create incentives to increase childbearing – for example, by making parental benefits more favorable for certain groups.

– When it comes to an issue like the economy. If you have studied for a long time and become pregnant at the end of your studies, you receive the absolute lowest parental benefit. Society has the opportunity to make a change here.

Same trend throughout the Western world

Last year, Statistics Sweden noted that the number of children born per woman in Sweden had fallen to 1.43 – the lowest figure ever recorded in the country. In order to avoid a negative population trend, an average of around 2.1 children per woman is needed.

Instead of focusing on increasing birth rates, both center-right and center-left governments in Sweden have over the past decades prioritized immigration from the third world – resulting in population growth despite declining native birth rates.

Sweden is not unique either – with the same trend visible across the Western world, and in the EU as a whole, the birth rate in 2023 stood at 1.38 children per woman – and significantly lower than that in countries like Spain, Italy and Poland.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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