Arctic Import
Arctic Import A/S is a family-owned B2B wholesale distributor founded in 1978, serving public institutions, retailers, hotels, and restaurants across Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland with food, non-food, furniture, cleaning, and catering supplies, plus project-based interior fit-out services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersNuuk, Greenland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Arctic Import does
Arctic Import A/S is a family-owned B2B wholesale company founded in October 1978 by Poul Jørgen Nielsen and Ole Nielsen, with headquarters in Aalborg, Denmark and principal operations in Greenland (Nuuk warehouse and Living showroom), the Faroe Islands (Arctic Import Tórshavn, formerly Blika), and Iceland (Reykjavik sales office). The company distributes food, non-food, furniture, cleaning, catering, and interior-fit-out products to public and private customers across the North Atlantic, drawing on a catalog of more than 400,000 unique SKUs sourced from an extensive supplier network. Its operational backbone combines a wholesale warehouse in Nuuk (operational since 2001), regional sales offices, and a B2B e-commerce webshop with login-based ordering, account-level favorite lists, and order confirmation for registered customers.
Revenue is generated through three intertwined streams: transactional B2B wholesale distribution (food and non-food to retail, hospitality, and institutional buyers), project-based professional services via the Arctic Import Living sub-brand (interior design, furnishing, and total-fit-out delivery for hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and airports), and dedicated catalog delivery through Arctic Import Catering and Arctic Import Cleaning for food-service and facility-management supplies. The go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales motion (sales chiefs, key account managers, and sales consultants) supplemented by public-tender participation for institutional contracts and self-service reorder via the webshop; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled through account-specific quotes and tender submissions. The customer base is horizontally segmented across retail/grocery stores, hotels and restaurants, public institutions, construction and trade, and the raw materials/mining sector.
The business model rests on the structural challenge of supplying low-population, geographically dispersed North Atlantic markets where local production is limited. Arctic Import consolidates shipments from Denmark and European suppliers, coordinates logistics timing around seasonal constraints such as Ilulissat sea-ice formation, and delivers to both urban centers and remote settlements. Family ownership, multi-decade supplier and customer relationships, physical distribution infrastructure in remote geographies, and a Unified regional brand (consolidated in 2018 when Blika was renamed Arctic Import) underpin the company's competitive position. Operations are continuing, the company has published an ESG report for 2025, and active hiring for an Operations Manager in Nuuk indicates ongoing capacity investment at the main Greenland hub.
Arctic Import firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arctic Import
- Legal name
- Arctic Import A/S
- Website
- https://arcticimport.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Arctic Import A/S is a family-owned B2B wholesale distributor founded in 1978, serving public institutions, retailers, hotels, and restaurants across Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland with food, non-food, furniture, cleaning, and catering supplies, plus project-based interior fit-out services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arctic Import industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Distribution
- NAICS
- Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (424420)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Temperature-Controlled Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale (AFAIAHAL)
Keywords
Where Arctic Import is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nuuk
- HQ country
- Greenland
Offices5 records
Markets served
Arctic Import business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale B2B Distribution: Core revenue from B2B wholesale distribution of food and non-food products to public and private customers in Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland. Includes daily deliveries to smaller businesses and larger supply contracts for hotel chains, restaurants, construction companies, healthcare, and public institutions.
- Living & Interior Solutions: Specialized interior design and furnishing solutions through Arctic Import Living, serving restaurants, hotels, institutions, and businesses with custom curtain solutions, furniture, and space planning.
- Catering & Cleaning Supplies: Total supplier for catering and cleaning products through dedicated catalogs (Arctic Import Catering, Arctic Import Cleaning) for food service and facility management.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Arctic Import product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arctic Import is a family-owned B2B wholesale distributor supplying food, non-food, cleaning, catering, and interior/living products to public and private customers in Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland. Operating from a wholesale warehouse in Nuuk and support offices across the North Atlantic, the company offers access to over 400,000 unique products, dedicated sales account management, and project-based procurement for institutional and commercial buyers.
Product overview
Arctic Import is a family-owned B2B wholesale company founded in 1978, serving Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland. The company operates as a total supplier offering both food and non-food products, organized under sub-brands including Arctic Import Cleaning (cleaning and hygiene solutions), Arctic Import Catering (catering supplies), and Arctic Import Living (furniture and interior design). The core offering includes an online B2B platform for wholesale ordering, access to over 400,000 unique products, with distribution from warehouses in Nuuk and support offices in Aalborg. The product portfolio spans food categories (bread & cakes, beverages, poultry & fish, frozen goods, produce, canned goods, meat, dairy, dry goods) and non-food categories (workwear, safety equipment, lighting, packaging, gastronomy, office supplies, furniture, cleaning products, school equipment, health & care).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Arctic Import Cleaning: Cleaning solutions and advisory services for professional cleaning operations.
- Arctic Import Catering
- Arctic Import Living
Products and services
- B2B Online Platform Web-based B2B wholesale ordering platform enabling registered business customers to browse 400,000+ products, manage favorite lists, place orders, and receive order confirmations online at their convenience.
- Arctic Import Cleaning Cleaning and hygiene solutions offering insight and advisory services for professional cleaning operations, ranging from specialized solutions to everyday essentials, serving facilities and institutions.
- Arctic Import Catering
Companies that use Arctic Import
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Arctic Import technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Arctic Import partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- KHR ArchitectureminorArchitecture firm collaborated with Arctic Import Living on curtain solutions for Restaurant Nivi project, developing functional and atmospheric room-dividing solutions.
- LekolarcoreEducational environment specialist partnering with Arctic Import on school projects including Atuarfik Inussuk (largest school in Greenland) and Daginstitution Naasut. Lekolar provides expertise in learning environments while Arctic Import handles logistics and project management.
- BIG ArkitektercoreInternationally renowned architecture firm (Bjarke Ingels Group) that designed the Glasir educational center in Tórshavn. Arctic Import selected as furniture supplier for this prestigious project.
- Rosan Bosch StudiocoreInterior design studio responsible for Glasir educational center interior design. Collaborated with Arctic Import on furniture selection including COURAGE sofas from MITAB and HAY silhouette sofas.
- Lofti ArkitekterminorFaroese architecture firm collaborated on URD Rehabilitation Center project in Tórshavn, working with Arctic Import on custom furniture selections.
- Tórshavn KommunecoreMunicipal government client for URD Rehabilitation Center and other Faroese projects. Arctic Import serves as furniture supplier for public sector projects.
- SNA ArkitekterminorFaroese architecture firm collaborated on University of Tórshavn project, praising Arctic Import's quick guidance and material samples.
- KOMPANcorePlayground equipment manufacturer whose products are distributed through Arctic Import for playgrounds in Faroe Islands including Skolen på Fløtum and public playgrounds in Tórshavn city center.
- LandsverkcorePublic institution and building authority for all public construction projects in Faroe Islands. Worked with Arctic Import on Technical School Klaksvík and University of Tórshavn renovation (2018).
- Brim ArkitekterminorFaroese architecture firm collaborating on Skolen við Streymin school project in Oyrarbakki.
- Sunda KommuneminorMunicipal government investing in Skolen við Streymin school development in Oyrarbakki on Eysturoy island.
- Grønt&GráttminorLandscape gardening company that installed playground equipment from Arctic Import/KOMPAN in Tórshavn city center.
- HjálpirótminorLocal partner collaborating on playground equipment installation at Skúlin á Fløtum.
- Bent BrandtcoreProfessional kitchen equipment supplier. Collaborated on custom kitchen design for Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat, including front cooking concept with advanced induction cookers and convection ovens.
- Blue Water ShippingminorShipping company partnered with Arctic Import for logistics coordination of Hotel Arctic kitchen delivery to Ilulissat, requiring careful timing before sea ice formation.
- Nina A. ArgeminorArchitect responsible for Landssygehuset Kantine design. Worked with Arctic Import on custom sofa heights and playhouse designs for the hospital canteen.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Arctic Import competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ISS A/S: Global facility services company headquartered in Denmark with significant overlap into cleaning supplies, catering, and workspace interiors — adjacent to Arctic Import's Arctic Cleaning, Catering, and Living sub-brands serving institutional customers.
- Salling Group A/S: Denmark's largest retail group (Netto, Bilka, Føtex) with significant wholesale procurement and private-label scale. Comparable through shared Nordic food/non-food distribution dynamics and supplier relationships that overlap with Arctic Import's product universe.
- Coop Danmark A/S: Major Danish retail and wholesale cooperative operating Irma, SuperBrugsen, and other banners. Comparable broadline grocery plus non-food assortment serving B2B and consumer customers across Denmark, in a similar Nordic B2B distribution context.
Direct peers
- Dagrofa ApS: Danish grocery wholesale group serving independent retailers and foodservice accounts with multi-category food and non-food ranges. Same B2B broadline wholesale model as Arctic Import but operating primarily within Denmark, making it the most relevant structural model benchmark.
- KNI A/S: Greenland's leading retail and wholesale operator, government-owned, running supermarkets (Pilersuisoq, Brugseni) and direct-to-consumer distribution across the same geography as Arctic Import. Most directly comparable competitor for the Greenlandic grocery and broadline wholesale market.
Regional players
- Axfood AB: Swedish grocery retail and wholesale group (Hemköp, Willys, Dagab). Comparable broadline Nordic B2B wholesale business model with national-scale infrastructure serving multiple customer segments outside of Arctic Import's North Atlantic geography.
Others
- Royal Greenland A/S: Greenland-based seafood producer and processor. Not a direct wholesale competitor but highly comparable as one of the few large-scale Greenland-headquartered commercial operators with similar logistics dependencies and customer ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Arctic Import social profiles
Digital presenceArctic Import financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arctic Import leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Arctic Import subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Arctic Import funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arctic Import M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Arctic Import
What does Arctic Import do?
Arctic Import is a family-owned B2B wholesale distributor supplying food, non-food, cleaning, catering, and interior/living products to public and private customers in Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland. Operating from a wholesale warehouse in Nuuk and support offices across the North Atlantic, the company offers access to over 400,000 unique products, dedicated sales account management, and project-based procurement for institutional and commercial buyers.
Is Arctic Import a public or private company?
Arctic Import is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Arctic Import founded?
Arctic Import was founded in 1978. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Arctic Import based?
Arctic Import is headquartered in Nuuk, Greenland.
How does Arctic Import make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wholesale B2B Distribution is the primary driver. The others are living & Interior Solutions and catering & Cleaning Supplies.
Who are Arctic Import's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ISS A/S, Salling Group A/S and Coop Danmark A/S. Direct peers are Dagrofa ApS and KNI A/S. Axfood AB is listed as a regional player. Royal Greenland A/S is listed as an others.
Does Arctic Import have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arctic Import.
What industry is Arctic Import in?
Arctic Import's product category is Wholesale Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAHAL, Temperature-Controlled Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 424420 and its SIC code is 5190.