S Group
1067328
222419845
2008-06-29T06:59:55Z
Zlerman
5449888
Category:Cooperatives in Finland
{{Infobox Company |
| company_name = S Group
| company_logo =
| company_type = [[Cooperative]]
| foundation = [[1904]]
| location_city = Helsinki
| location_country = Finland
| key_people = Arto Hiltunen <small>([[chair (official)|Chairman]] of the [[board of directors|board]]</small>
| industry = [[Retail]], [[Horeca]]
| products = Groceries, hardware, consumer durables, services.
| revenue = €10.544 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] <small>(2007, including subsidiaries)</small><br> €7.813 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] <small>(2007, excluding subsidiaries)</small><ref>[http://www.digipaper.fi/sok-yhtyma/12168/ S-ryhmä ja SOK-yhtymä 2007 - Kansi<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| net_income = €58 [[1000000 (number)|million]] <small>(2007, excluding subsidiaries)</small><ref>[http://www.digipaper.fi/sok-yhtyma/12168/ S-ryhmä ja SOK-yhtymä 2007 - Kansi<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| num_employees= 35,899 <small>(2007)</small><ref>[http://www.digipaper.fi/sok-yhtyma/12168/ S-ryhmä ja SOK-yhtymä 2007 - Kansi<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| homepage = [http://www.s-kanava.fi/ www.s-kanava.fi]
| intl = yes
}}
The '''S Group''' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]: ''S-ryhmä'') is a [[Finland|Finnish]] [[retail]]ing [[cooperative]] organisation, founded in [[1904]]. It consists of 22 regional cooperatives operating all around Finland in the [[market]]s for [[groceries]], [[consumer durable]]s, [[service station]], [[hotel]] and [[restaurant]] services, [[agriculture|agricultural]] supplies, and [[automobile|car]] sales. The full formal name of the nationwide cooperative organisation is ''Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta'' (SOK).
The group has businesses in [[Finland]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]] and [[Russia]].
The organisation's [[loyalty card]] is called ''S-Etukortti''. It is engaged in close competition with [[Kesko]], with which it shares an [[oligopoly|oligopolistic]] position in many of the markets it operates in.
== Supermarkets ==
The S Group operates four distinct chains of [[supermarket]]s:
* ''Sale'' - a chain of small grocery stores, mainly located in the countryside and small towns, with an emphasis on service rather than selection. Sale shops often only provide everyday groceries. There are about 170 Sale shops in Finland.
* ''[[Alepa]]'' - this is the equivalent for ''Sale'' in the [[Greater Helsinki]] region - there are about 70 Alepa shops in the [[suburb]]s of [[Helsinki]] and the neighbouring cities.
* ''S-market'' - larger supermarkets with a better selection of goods for sale, and often providing additional services. This is the largest of the S Group's supermarket chains, with nearly 400 shops around Finland.
* ''Prisma'' - a [[hypermarket]] chain with about 50 shops around [[Finland]] and the [[Baltic state]], in major cities.
The S Group's supermarkets retail the general [[private brand]] ''Rainbow'', the [[no-frills]] ''Hyvä Ostos'' ('good purchase') and the international ''Coop'' label.
== Other fields ==
The S Group also operates the ''[[Sokos]]'' chain of [[department store]]s, ''ABC'' [[service station]]s, the [[hotel]] chain ''Sokos Hotels'', several brands of [[restaurant]]s such as ''Rosso'', ''Sevilla'' and ''Amarillo'', the ''Agrimarket'' chain, which sells [[agriculture|agricultural]] and [[DIY]] supplies, and a number of [[car]] dealerships for [[Peugeot]].
== S-Bank ==
The S Group operates Finlands first so called ''supermarket bank'', the [[S-Bank]] (S-Pankki Oy)
==External links==
* [http://www.s-kanava.net S-Kanava] - The company portal.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Cooperatives in Finland]]
[[Category:Supermarkets of Finland]]
[[fi:S-ryhmä]]
[[sv:S-gruppen]]