We gathered for a meal around the kitchen table. We passed around different food, shared bread and poured drinks into our glasses. We gathered for a conversation about the day's events, things to remember or consider. We gathered to share experiences and our perspectives on current events. The meal provided us a space for togetherness, consensus and everyday joy. That's how many days ended in an entrepreneurial family. My family.
We gathered for a meal around the kitchen table. We passed around different food, shared bread and poured drinks into our glasses. We gathered for a conversation about the day's events, things to remember or consider. We gathered to share experiences and our perspectives on current events. The meal provided us a space for togetherness, consensus and everyday joy. That's how many days ended in an entrepreneurial family. My family.
The journey towards the formation of Axfood began when my family was at its largest around the dining table, with children and their friends constantly present. I had taken over the responsibility of the old family business a few years earlier, and now my husband and I were setting the direction for the future with the acquisition of a large retail conglomerate.
The year was 1988 when Hemköp, Dagab, SABA Trading, and several other companies joined the Axel Johnson Group. It was then I finally saw clearly how my mission as a family business owner would take shape. It was a new perspective on entrepreneurship – defining a company as the greatest force for change in society, with the ability to significantly impact people's everyday lives. Our customers, who now numbered in the millions due to the acquisition, were affected by us. They bought milk, cheese, sausages, fruits, and cereals in our stores and unpacked them in their kitchens to prepare their meals. What kind of products we chose to offer influenced our customers' daily lives. I had time to think, what responsibility we have. And what an opportunity to infuse our actions with important values. Could we possibly become a "good" company? Our employees believed so.
Environment, quality and health were the first three guiding principles. Hemköp took the lead in this initial transformation of the trade and grocery stores. Soon, we had the ski champion Gunde Svan in a series of TV commercials where he, with piglets in his arms, spoke about trust and good animal husbandry. We talked about the environment – something that authorities or agencies were supposed to address, not companies. Our journey had begun, and the world took notice of what we were doing.
Antonia Ax:son Johnson, Founder
"It is Axfood's customers and employees who are our strongest driving force for renewal – through dialogue and constant change for better food and meals."
Recently, I visited a Willys store. I walked around with joy, reflecting on what had happened over the past 20 years. The formation of Axfood manifested our belief in food as a business area but also our purpose to influence and improve society. In the store, I was struck by the silent dialogue we have with our customers. The store seemed to ask, "How can I assist you?" Gluten-free and vegetarian options, animal welfare at a new level, packaging solutions and focus on waste reduction. Our own products, born out of our conviction. Ordering and picking up as it suits me. Never could I have fantasized 20 years ago about all the ideas that have found expression in Axfood's stores, big and small. It is Axfood's customers and employees who are our strongest driving force for renewal – through dialogue and constant change for better food and meals.
I return to my kitchen table around which my friends and family now gather. We talk while passing plates of food from many different cultures. Here, there is sushi and quinoa, reindeer meat and locally grown vegetables. All equally natural. We discuss the world of unforeseen possibilities that our youth face today. A world of positive changes. But we also talk about polarization in debates and opinions, the short-sightedness of politics, the speed of societal change, and the vulnerability of our planet. And we reflect, just as we did 20 years ago, on the significance of meals in our daily lives. Because the gathering around food is a significant, sometimes even decisive, force in the time we live in. The positive energy of all Axfood employees can create that important sense of togetherness. With that perspective, my entrepreneurial work feels more urgent than I could have ever imagined.
Antonia Ax:son Johnson, Founder