A lot have happened since last time I wrote. The project at the machinery sector is now 
finished and I must say I really had a great time in Malmö (even though many of my colleagues were cheering for the “wrong” football team).
I really enjoyed traveling around the country to meet with our co-workers in their daily work and operations, it has really given me a valuable understanding of how our day-to-day business is conducted. As always, it feels a bit strange to leave a workplace and all of the new colleagues I’ve met. But at the same time I’m thrilled for my new project at Lantmännen Cerealia in Järna (SE) where I will be working with private label issues and Lantmännen Cerealia’s private label strategy.
Private labels are, as we all know, getting stronger and stronger for every day. In almost all of Lantmännen Cerealia’s product categories, private labels have become the main competitors. Within my new project we are going to investigate our production of private label products, how much should we produce, in what quality and for what price? It is indeed a complex issue since our greatest B2B-customers (ICA, Coop, Axfood, etc.) also are our greatest competitors. I have to say that I am very excited for this project, private labels were often highly discussed during my time at the university. Then, we often talked about how to differentiate from private labels by adding value but we spent very little time discussing business relationships and collaborations with the retailers concerning private labels. Personally, I am very interested in business development and adapting to new situations. Private labels are definitely here to stay and we will have to adapt accordingly, but in what way? First up, I will have a short meeting with Lantmännen’s CEO and Group President, Per Olof Nyman, next week to let him share his thoughts about private labels and Lantmännen’s approach within this area. Our CEO’s interest in these issues says a lot about the subject’s relevance and importance for our future business, a fact that makes me very motivated to take on the challenge!
Have a nice weekend!
/ Per Holgård