In S Group, the customer is the owner.
S Group is a Finnish network of companies in the retail and service trades comprising over 1,600 outlets in Finland.S Group consists of cooperatives as well as SOK and its subsidiaries.S Group provides services in the trades of grocery and consumer goods, service stations and fuels, tourism and hospitality, automobile and auto accessories as well as in the agricultural trade.S Group's purpose is to produce services and benefits for its co-op members.
Cooperatives are companies that operate on a cooperative basis.Their owners are also customers, or in the S Group language, co-op members.
S Group consists of 21 independent regional cooperatives and SOK, which is owned by them. 8 local cooperatives are also included in S Group.The cooperative network covers the whole of Finland, and the operations have a strong regional emphasis.The co-op members own the cooperatives.
Owned by the cooperatives, SOK (Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta) operates as the central firm for the cooperatives and produces procurement, expert and support services for them.SOK is also in charge of S Group's strategic steering and the development of the various chains.SOK's business operations supplement S Group's supply in Finland and the neighbouring areas.
SOK Corporation, in turn, is formed by SOK and its subsidiaries.In addition to its regional and national subsidiaries, SOK operates in the supermarket, travel industry and hospitality business in the Baltic area and St Petersburg.
Grocery trade
Grocery trade is practised nationwide by the Prisma, S-market and Sale chains as well as the Alepa chain in the metropolitan area. In addition, the ABC service station market shops sell grocery goods nationwide and the ABC-Deli units in the metropolitan area. At the end of 2011, the supermarket chains consisted of over 850 outlets, 108 ABC service stations and 15 ABC-Deli shops.
In Finland, the business activities of all supermarket outlets are managed by regional cooperatives. The SOK subsidiaries operating in each country manage the business activities of the Prisma units in the Baltic countries and St Petersburg. They administer altogether 22 Prismas.
Consumer goods trade
Consumer goods trade is practised mainly by the Prisma, Sokos, Emotion and Kodin Terra chains, in addition to which the S-market, Sale and ABC chains offer consumer goods on a smaller scale. The Pukumies chain also operates in parts of Finland. At the end of 2011, the Prisma chain consisted of 61 outlets in Finland and 21 outlets in nearby areas. There were 21 Sokos department stores, 28 Emotion shops and 11 Kodin Terras. The Pukumies chain has 10 outlets.
Service station and fuel trade
S Group's service station and fuel trade is operated by a network consisting of 108 ABC service stations, 288 ABC unmanned stations and 15 ABC-Delis (2011). ABC-Deli only operates in the metropolitan area and Porvoo. S Group's regional cooperatives manage the business activities of all ABC service station outlets.
Travel industry and Hospitality business
S Group's travel industry and hospitality business comprises several nationwide restaurant chains and two hotel chains: Sokos Hotels and Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts. In addition to the chains, S Group has a high number of individual restaurants. In Finland, both the regional cooperatives and SOK's subsidiary Sokotel Oy practise the travel industry and hospitality business. At the end of 2011, S Group had 769 restaurant outlets and 56 hotels in Finland. Sokotel Oy's subsidiaries also manage the operations of Sokos Hotel Viru in Tallinn and three Sokos Hotels in St Petersburg.
Automotive trade
S Group's automotive trade services are offered by SOK's cooperatives Automaa Oy and 12 regional cooperatives. The services include new cars, trade-in cars, spare part and accessory sales, maintenance and repair services and automotive sales financing. S Group represents 21 car makes, which were sold in 39 outlets at the end of 2011.
Agribusiness
The agricultural, machine, hardware and gardening trades are practised in S Group by the Agrimarket, S-Rauta and Multasormi chains. Nationwide business operations are practised by SOK ‘s subsidiary Hankkija-Maatalous Oy. Moreover, four regional cooperatives practise their own agribusiness. There were 106 Agrimarket outlets at the turn of the year.
