News and releases

Pensioners most active in bringing their own bag to the grocery store

According to K Group’s survey, most customers bring their own bag to the grocery store, but plastic bags are bought during unplanned visits. Finland seeks to reduce the consumption of plastic bags through the plastic bag agreement to which K Group is also committed. Families with children buy the most shopping bags, whereas pensioners are the most active users of their own bags. The respondents considered eco-friendliness the most significant reason for using their own bags.

21.03.2024 07:35

Hyvis soup is the winner of the Food and Beverage category in the Most Sustainable Product in Finland competition

Hyvis sweet pepper and lentil soup was selected the winner of the Food and Beverage category in the Most Sustainable Product in Finland competition. The vegan convenience food made using sweet peppers that would otherwise go to waste was developed in cooperation between K Group and Juustoportti’s Kasvisgalleria. Developing food waste products is part of K Group’s activities to halve the amount of food waste.

03.11.2023 07:15

From clothing to raw material – K Group’s discarded workwear is given a new life as fibre

Discarded workwear is now recycled at K Group and converted into a new raw material for textiles. In a circular economy cooperation project with Touchpoint and Rester, discarded workwear will be recycled into fibre. Potential uses for the fibre are currently being sought in K Group’s own operations. In the future, an outfit worn by a salesperson at a K-store may end up as raw material for an interior decoration product or a new piece of clothing. The stores included in the cooperation have more than 20,000 employees, so a considerable amount of workwear is consumed.

18.10.2023 00:00

Kesko to build its fifth K-Citymarket hypermarket store in Finland’s fourth biggest city Vantaa

Kesko and the building company SSA Rakennus Oy are set to build a new K-Citymarket hypermarket store in Kivistö, Vantaa. This will be Kesko’s fifth hypermarket in Vantaa, which is the fourth biggest city in Finland and part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The premises will host the K-Citymarket and some 20 other commercial facilities, as well as integrated housing built by SSA Rakennus.

12.09.2023 11:36

Five methods that grocery stores use to prevent food waste – the popularity of red-flagged products is still growing

Grocery stores combat food waste and invest in its prevention in many ways. Customers of K-food stores can now contribute to reducing food waste by purchasing products made with food that would otherwise have been wasted, such as fruit and vegetable boxes and bread bags. At the same time, the popularity of red-flagged products continues to grow, and a variety of products made with potential waste food can now be found on store shelves. Biogas from inedible waste food is used in processes such as the production of Pirkka Amppari ice cream.

08.09.2023 08:30

Over 264,000 euros raised to help Ukrainian families

Sales of Ukraine ribbons raised over 264,000 euros to help Ukrainian families that have come to Finland. The funds raised are being used to organise communal activities and events to bring Ukrainian and Finnish families together. The funds are also being used to provide food gift cards to Ukrainian families in need.

15.08.2023 07:00

Caps increasingly remain attached to beverage containers – changes due to regulations are visible in packaging and sorting

Customers buying beverage products may be surprised to find that the cap no longer comes completely off the carton or bottle. The reason for this are the new requirements that are now visible in the everyday life of consumers in Finland. At the same time, amendments to the Waste Act make the more varied sorting of waste possible for an increasing number of people. The first changes to beverage containers have already been initiated at K Group. At the same time, written sorting instructions found on the packaging make sorting easier at homes.

04.07.2023 07:15

Finland’s most popular app will show how well your purchases meet Finnish nutrition recommendations

A new feature designed to support wellbeing will be introduced to the K-Ruoka mobile app in August. The Hyvinvointi wellbeing service will calculate how well customers’ purchases from K-food stores meet the national nutrition recommendations. The service uses K Group's data on customer purchases combined with background information provided by customers to help users make healthier choices. The wellbeing service has been created in collaboration with registered dietician Reijo Laatikainen.

30.06.2023 13:24

Finns eager to buy Ukraine bows, with South Karelians the most eager to participate

Support for Ukrainians arriving in Finland is well under way and is being funded by Ukraine bows sold in K grocery shops. Food gift cards with a total value of EUR 50,000 have been distributed to Ukrainian families with children and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare works to offer them meaningful activities that bring Finns and Ukrainians together. People living in South Karelia have been the most eager to participate in the fundraising, which will continue until the end of June.

20.06.2023 10:30

K Group’s health targets are moving forward: more than 30 Pirkka products already carry the Heart Symbol

Making heart-friendly yet affordable choices at the grocery store will be easier once the Heart Symbol is added to familiar Pirkka products. To date, almost a hundred Pirkka products have been granted the right to use the Heart Symbol, and the symbol has already been added to the packaging of more than 30 products. K Group is committed to facilitating choices that promote wellbeing by setting health targets and making nutrition commitments.

24.04.2023 07:30