The food barons behind Norway's high-priced food
20 June 2025
Although Norway usually has heavily and fairly well-regulated markets, the authorities struggle to rein in the three grocery shop chains that dominate what Norwegians eat and how much they pay for it.
A kilo of saffron costs nearly €9,000 in Norway. In Sweden, it's around €3,500. But it's not just luxury items that are painfully expensive. Even everyday staples like butter, potatoes, and cheese now regularly leave Norwegians with a hole in their wallet.
While Russia's war against Ukraine and post-pandemic inflation have increased grocery prices across Europe, there's another reason food is so expensive in Norway: the domestic grocery market is concentrated, making it an oligopoly.
In August 2024, Norway's competition authority fined Coop, Rema 1000, and NorgesGruppen a combined €420 million for illegal price coordination (breaking antitrust law, as sharing information that restricts competition is illegal).
Investigators found that, for years – from January 2011 to at least April 2018 – the companies had been using "price hunters" to scan and monitor prices in one another's shops. Instead of competing, they adjusted their prices to match, keeping them high and predictable.
The system removed any real incentive to lower prices. If one company cut prices, the others would follow almost immediately. That meant no one gained a competitive edge. So instead, the more rational option was to push prices upwards, knowing the others would keep pace.
Together, these three chains control 95% of the grocery market in Norway, a level of concentration that would raise concern in most countries. In Norway, where strong regulation and state oversight are usually the norm, it stands out even more. Across Europe, grocery markets are often dominated by a few major players, but rarely are there so few, and with such a high market share. One of the few comparable examples is Poland, where Biedronka and Lidl together hold around 73% of the market.
While public dismay over the rising food prices and profitability has simmered for years, it has rarely touched the deeper issue: that a handful of companies, and the families behind them, control Norway's food supply and prices.
The cost of food is rising faster than wages, and many households are feeling it. Norway is regularly ranked the third most expensive country in Europe for food. Across Europe, large food retailers have gained enormous power. But Norway's market is especially exposed because of its structure and small size.
Coop, Rema 1000, and NorgesGruppen have all appealed their respective fines, meaning they remain unpaid. The authorities have asked the companies to cease their use of price hunters, but as stated by the head of NorgesGruppen, they have no plans to do so.
 | Kristin Dilani Nadarajah The idea of blaming war, inflation, or fuel costs for rising prices ignores the real driver: domestic corporate power. Prices don't just rise by themselves. Companies like this are price setters. They're not merely reacting to the market. They are the market. Journalists have repeatedly exposed the close ties between the grocery industry and our politicians. Yet, these companies are able to exploit loopholes without proper regulation and accountability, allowing them to continue to set prices in ways that serve their interests. For many in Norway, that means continuing to face soaring prices that outpace any rise in wages – what happens when three companies control what we all pay. |
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