To get Ica-traders have often been described as a short and easy way to million for those who do not want to spend years at school. With the right attitude and a bit of fluency, one can go from butiksanställd in the upper teens to the owner and millionaire in just a couple of years, many thought.
the Picture that is being painted is no myth, according to the researchers. It does not apply to all, but luck and chance has lifted many from the stores to the wealth through the years.
– It is often said that it was the quickest way to become a millionaire in Sweden, to become the Ica-traders. But it is not as clear anymore, ” says Ulf Johansson, professor and director at the Center for handelsforskning in Lund.
He has followed the grocery industry for over 30 years and see several reasons why it historically has been a bonanza for many. One of the main he calls for platsmonopolet.
List: Ica-the traders earn the most – so of your local Ica
like Coop or Ica opened the shops, they got basically a monopoly on the local market. It is too long for the customer to go elsewhere and shop, and it is not worth it for other stores to open up in the resort since there is already a grocery store.
The one who had the good fortune to take over a store in such a location could quickly begin to count the banknotes, and it didn’t matter so much how skillful the trader was.
– this would never the Ica say, but platsmonopolet that you can mismanage itself quite properly and still make money. The customers have their habitual patterns and don’t ride many miles extra to trade, ” says Ulf Johansson.
Ulf Johansson is a professor at the Center for handelsforskning at Lund university. He has followed the retail sector at close range for over 30 years. Photo: Private
In the 80 and 90s, it was, according to him, not completely unusual to an untrained 25-year-old with a bit of drive and an entrepreneurial spirit could get the chance to take over a shop – and its economy.
the Profit made in the shop are divided between Ica Sverige AB and Ica-merchant. Then, the trader can in addition to their salary choose to take dividends from the company, where the tax is much lower than on salary.
According to the DN’s review of the country’s Ica retailer took about half dividend last year, at an average of 3.4 million sek.
to reach the million in the day. Firstly, competition has increased as the number of shops decreased. In the 80’s Ica around 10,000 stores in Sweden, today it is scarce 1.400. In addition, there has been a general professionalisation in the Ica ranks, says Ulf Johansson.
– It is not the wild west in the same way now. A supermarket can translate between half a billion and 600 million.
– It would be directly irresponsible to say to a 25-year-old to ”you seem to be entrepreneurial, you have to take care of this”. It’s not happening today, ” says Ulf Johansson.
It is not the wild west in the same way.
at the uk’s University of Bath and one of the foremost in its field. But he is also involved in the Ica’s in-service training.
in The last 25 years he has met almost all of the prospective Ica-traders before they have taken the step. According to him, the journey is far from as simple now as it could be 20, 30 years ago.
– The Ica-retailers in the day have usually worn the same time in the store in the evenings and weekends that others have worn in high school and college, ” says Jens Nordfält.
an alternative way to million for the the one that draws from the academic, he says, but it is not as easy.
In more or less all cases it is the parent company Ica Sverige AB, which appoints the next trader now-a-days, and they put more emphasis on experience, business acumen, and past performance now than before, mean Nordfält.
– Often, you go with stålhättor in dojorna from that you are 16 years and lifting heavy for 20 years ahead before you have the chance to reach so far, ” he says.
The only time the Ica has nothing to say in the choice of traders is if the shop owner want to transfer the store to his daughter or son.
– It is really the only bananskalet that are still in the system, ” says Jens Nordfält.
it can be more difficult for the traders to retain the freedom they had through the years. They become progressively more dependent on support from the Ica central in everything from the in-store-tv and self-scanning to e-commerce and delivery.
He points out that both now and historically, doesn’t mean handlarrollen automatically mean that the millions will roll in. There are 1.400 stores in the country and snittvinsten is around two per cent.
– If any of then will do up to 8-9% and get rich does it mean that a part needs to be on the minus, ” he says and continues:
– There are many who more or less live in the shop, working all evenings and weekends for themselves and the kids get help free.
Read more: So was Lovisa Skoog spin on the century-old Ica store.
