Caroline Berg: the most important thing we have is our employees

Caroline Berg belongs to the fifth generation of entrepreneurs within Axel Johnson AB. As the majority owner and board member of Axfood, she plays an important role.

"My family and I are truly passionate about food. Food is a significant part of our hearts, and Axfood is an absolutely fantastic company. It's amazing to see that we have so many different concepts within our chains and that we can, therefore, meet customers in various ways every day", says Caroline Berg.

She believes that Axfood has demonstrated tremendous strength by growing more than the overall market over a long period of time. It's a combination of being skilled in daily operations as well as innovative thinking, innovation, and development.

"The employees do an outstanding job. They are the powerful force behind Axfood’s success. A Everyone who interacts with customers in the stores every day, as well as those working on business development, assortment, logistics, and customer offerings. All parts are important and contribute to the Axfood we know today." 

Common values as a guiding thread

Axfood is a relatively young company, while Axel Johnson has been around for almost 150 years. When Caroline looks back at the long history of the family business, a couple of things stand out - a few guiding threads that they have held onto.

"One is, of course, our values. That we build and develop businesses in a long-term and sustainable manner. The other is the ability to embrace change, constantly building and developing new businesses, finding new ways to engage with customers, and evolving our operations. Axfood is a great example of that."

She points to the goal set by Axel Johnson in 2015 called the 10/50 goal, which means that in ten years, 50 percent of Axel Johnson’s revenue will derive from activities that currently do not form part of the business. New products, services, offerings, and customers. The majority of the new activities should come from existing operations.

"Here too, I believe that Axfood is a good example with a high pace of innovation in new products, digital development, and solutions appreciated by customers. Garant's success, e-commerce, and customer loyalty programs are just a few examples. It has been an incredible journey over these twenty years."

Digitalization, sustainability, and integration

When Caroline Berg discusses the future, digitalization is something she frequently comes back to.

 "Digitalization affects us in all dimensions and also provides us with many opportunities. It will require a lot of expertise. Therefore, it's important that we continue with skills development. For everyone and at all levels." 

Sustainability is another word she often mentions.

"Sustainability is something we, as the owning family, truly want to work towards, and in that aspect, Axfood is a guiding star in many respects. We will continue to lead in this area because sustainability will remain one of our main strategies going forward. It's exciting if we can help our customers become more sustainable, inspire them to live a more sustainable life. Axfood plays an important role in this."

Diversity and integration are other keywords, both now and in the future. 

"I believe that integration and inclusion are among the most significant issues of our time. There is nothing that damages a society as much as when people feel excluded. Moreover, we want employees and leaders who reflect our customers and the society overall. It's also about attracting the best talent, and to do that, we need to recruit from all 100 percent of the talent pool." 

Innovation and building long-term

She believes it is important for Axfood to continue working on innovation - developing new products and services, as well as being responsive and adaptable to new trends. She envisions two pillars in both Axel Johnson's and Axfood's business development.

"To have both long-term thinking, working in-depth, and holding onto our values, while also being curious, open to change, and flexible. Long-term and enduring combined with agility and impatience. When we succeed, it becomes a very good combination. All of this is connected to one thing - once again, our employees."

Caroline Berg believes in the development of new products and mentions legume-based minced meat as a good example. It was initially developed by Axfoundation and has been successfully tested at Urban Deli. 

"It's a product that didn't even exist a year ago. I believe we will see more of such products."

What do you think about the development of e-commerce?

- We need to make it really, really good, of course. At the same time, our physical stores are incredibly important. E-commerce can never replace the experience that a physical store can provide to our customers every day. Just look at ourselves. As customers, we want to shop in various ways.

How do you shop yourself?

I both make small purchases and do major grocery shopping in stores. But I also shop online. Sometimes I take my car and go to Willys in Sickla for a major shopping trip. Sometimes, on my way home from work, I stop by Hemköp City and buy what fits in my bicycle basket. Recently, we moved to Årsta, and there is a nice locally-owned Hemköp store near Gullmarsplan that I explore.

Will Axfood continue to grow further?

- We are fully focused on continuing to build and develop Axfood in the long term. I believe in continued growth and being at the forefront of sustainability. Axfood is a shining star, and we have fantastic employees.

Caroline Berg looks ahead with optimism and great confidence.

- Food will always be important to people. That's what makes it so fun - it is a significant part of people’s lives. Through Axfood's , we can meet new trends and become a reflection of the society and its development. We can be innovative while also being an important pice in society, helping people in their everyday lives, every day.