What Unil does

Unil AS is a Norwegian private limited company founded in 1955 and wholly owned by NorgesGruppen, one of Norway's largest grocery retail conglomerates. Operating as NorgesGruppens merkevarehus (brand house), Unil is responsible for the full private label value chain — product development, supplier qualification and procurement, quality assurance, import, marketing, and brand management — for a portfolio of approximately 4,000–4,500 active product lines organized around 14+ sub-brands spanning premium (Jacobs Utvalgte), everyday (Eldorado, Fiskemannen, Folkets, Fersk & Ferdig), value (First Price), sustainability (Vilje), pet food (Fauna), household (Unik), confectionery (Snop), textiles (Under), children's (LilleGo'), and health supplements (LøFT). Headquartered at Skøyen in Oslo with an ISO 14001-certified warehouse facility in Våler, the company employs approximately 186 people and reported revenue of approximately 11,600 MNOK in 2024. Certifications include ISO 22000:2018 food safety, ISO 14001:2015 environmental management, MSC and ASC seafood chain-of-custody, Debio organic handling, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and FSC.

Unil's business model is a captive private label arrangement with its parent NorgesGruppen. There are no direct sales to consumers: products are distributed exclusively through NorgesGruppen's approximately 2,000 daily goods stores across the Kiwi, Meny, Spar, Joker, Nærbutikken, and Bunnpris chains, the Unil+ foodservice channel serving over 7,000 professional kitchens across Norway, and B2B wholesale through ASKO and Storcash. Revenue is generated from the margin between product cost and the wholesale/transfer price to the retailer's chains, with consumer-facing pricing set by the retailer rather than Unil itself. Sourcing is multinational — 556 first-tier suppliers in 38 countries as of 2023, with two-thirds of purchasing value from Norwegian producers — and the company belongs to the European Marketing Distribution purchasing alliance and United Nordic purchasing group.

Unil's underlying technology is deliberately modest: a supplier-facing Product Portal for item registration, packaging configuration, measurements, documentation uploads, and product status workflows, supported by instruction videos and bilingual (Norwegian/English) interfaces. Salesforce is used for managing customer complaints and contact-form inquiries. The strategic emphasis is on supply chain sustainability (plastic reduction, free-range sourcing, cocoa certification, social audits, ethical trade) and broad product portfolio coverage rather than proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities, with no API, SDK, or application disclosed. Distribution is single-country domestic (Norway only), and the company has no mobile application, public funding history, or external investor base — it is wholly integrated within NorgesGruppen.

Name

Unil

Legal name

Unil AS

Website

https://unil.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Unil AS is NorgesGruppen's wholly-owned private label brand house, developing, sourcing, and marketing approximately 4,000 private label products across 14+ sub-brands. It distributes exclusively through NorgesGruppen's ~2,000 retail stores and the Unil+ professional foodservice channel serving 7,000+ kitchens across Norway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Label Brand Management

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Piece Goods, Notions, and Other Dry Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42431)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Foods Wholesale (Packaged & Private Label) (AFAIAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pastry, Cakes & Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAFAB)

Keywords

• Private label products
• Brand management services
• Grocery retail sourcing
• Professional kitchen supply
• Consumer goods import

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Label Product Sales: Unil generates revenue by developing, sourcing, and marketing private label products sold through NorgesGruppen's retail chains (Kiwi, Meny, Spar, Joker, Nærbutikken, Bunnpris) and the Unil+ professional kitchen channel. Revenue is derived from the margin between product cost and retail/wholesale pricing across a portfolio of approximately 4,500 active product lines. Revenue in 2024 was approximately 11,600 MNOK.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Unil is the private label brand house (merkevarehus) for NorgesGruppen, responsible for product development, quality assurance, purchasing, import, marketing, and brand building across a portfolio of approximately 4,000 products. The company manages 15+ sub-brands spanning premium (Jacobs Utvalgte), value (First Price), sustainability-focused (Vilje), seafood (Fiskemannen), pet food (Fauna), household (Unik), confectionery (Snop), textiles (Under), and children's products (LilleGo'). Unil also operates Unil+, which delivers products and services to over 7,000 professional kitchens across Norway.

Product overview

Unil is the private label brand house of NorgesGruppen, responsible for product development, quality assurance, purchasing, import, marketing, and brand building. The company manages a portfolio of approximately 4,000 products distributed through around 2,000 grocery stores and 18,000 foodservice customers nationwide. Its product portfolio is organized around approximately 15 sub-brands covering groceries (Eldorado, Folkets, Fersk & Ferdig), value (First Price), premium (Jacobs Utvalgte), sustainability (Vilje), seafood (Fiskemannen), pet food (Fauna), non-food household (Unik), health supplements (LØFT), children's products (LilleGo'), confectionery (Snop), underwear/textiles (Under), and a professional foodservice division (Unil+). A key operational platform is the Product Portal, a supplier-facing tool for submitting and managing product data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jacobs Utvalgte: Premium quality brand offering selected products
• Eldorado
• Vilje
• Fiskemannen
• Folkets
• Fersk & Ferdig
• First Price
• Fauna
• Unik
• Under
• Snop
• LØFT
• LilleGo'
• Seidel
• Unil+

Products and services

• Unil+ Business unit that delivers products and services to professional kitchens (storkjøkken) across Norway, serving over 7,000 foodservice/HoReCa customers including restaurants, hotels, canteens, and catering operations.
• Jacobs Utvalgte Premium sub-brand offering high-quality selected products including coffee, specialty groceries, Italian-inspired salsiccia dough, cheesecakes, and chocolate-covered nuts. Targeted at consumers seeking premium private label alternatives.
• Eldorado Main grocery sub-brand covering a broad range of food and beverage products including frozen baked goods, taco products, snack nuts, sauces, bread, smoothies, and seasonal product launches.
• Vilje Sustainability-focused sub-brand offering products with higher standards for environmental impact, animal welfare, and social responsibility. Includes organic sodas, dal dishes, barley risotto, sausages, baby care, and personal care products.
• First Price Value-oriented sub-brand offering affordable grocery and household products including food items (potato chips, meat cuts), cleaning products, laundry detergents, and personal care items. Known for Nøkkelhullet-certified healthier options and salt/sugar reduction initiatives.
• Fiskemannen Seafood sub-brand offering fish and seafood products sourced from MSC and ASC-certified fisheries and aquaculture operations with full chain of custody traceability.
• Fauna Pet food sub-brand offering pet food and animal care products for Norwegian households.
• Unik Non-food household sub-brand covering cleaning products, paper products, firelogs, matches, wiper products, and laundry care items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 29% reduction in virgin plastic usage by end of 2025, exceeding the target of 20% (baseline 2020)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amfori (BSCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmfori is a global organization promoting sustainability and responsible business practices in supply chains. Unil uses Amfori BSCI social audits to ensure better working conditions in its supplier chain and to follow up on requirements for human rights, labor conditions, and ethical business practices. The BSCI classification is also used as a reference for defining risk countries.
• Circular Packaging Cluster (CPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Norwegian industry cluster established in 2019 to help solve challenges in the packaging value chain in the transition to a circular economy. The cluster facilitates collaboration through networking, knowledge exchange, and joint projects. Through its membership, Unil gains access to networking and new knowledge, and opportunities to participate in projects with other relevant actors.
• Emballasjeforeningen (Norwegian Packaging Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Norwegian interest organization representing companies across the entire packaging value chain, including packaging producers, packaging users, and retail. The association functions as a knowledge center, disseminating knowledge through courses, events, and articles. Through membership, Unil gains access to updated knowledge and networks within the packaging field.
• EmballasjeforskminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Norwegian network that contributes to projects and collaboration in packaging research, and that disseminates results of ongoing and completed projects. The network drives research projects, shares trends and research results, and advises on funding opportunities.
• Etisk handel Norge (Ethical Trade Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA member organization working to promote responsible and sustainable business practices in global supply chains. Through membership, Unil gains access to guidance, tools, and knowledge to strengthen work on human rights, decent working conditions, environment, and anti-corruption throughout its value chain. Unil participates in due diligence projects through EHN, including a cashew project in Vietnam.
• European Marketing Distribution (EMD)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA European purchasing organization for grocery retail, consisting of 13 members in 16 countries. The alliance works to strengthen competitiveness through joint purchasing and collaboration with suppliers. As a member of EMD, Unil gains access to a wider range of products, more efficient purchasing agreements, and opportunities for product development with international manufacturers.
• Grønt Punkt Norge (Green Dot Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA non-profit organization that ensures financing of packaging recycling in Norway. Through membership in Grønt Punkt Norge, Unil takes responsibility for its packaging by contributing to its collection and recycling in an environmentally friendly manner, in line with national and European producer responsibility requirements. Unil has signed the Plastic Pledge (Plastløftet) through Grønt Punkt Norge.
• United NordicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA purchasing group for the grocery sector in the Nordic region. Unil collaborates with United Nordic through joint purchasing processes for own brand products. This provides access to a wide range of products and helps optimize cost efficiency and strengthen competitiveness. Sustainability is emphasized, including through supplier follow-up and CSR screenings.
• Saltpartnerskapet (Salt Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaboration between health authorities and the food industry to reduce the population's salt intake and promote better public health. Through its membership, Unil contributes to this goal by systematically working to reduce salt content in its products while maintaining good quality and taste.
• Sustainability Hub (S-HUB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA business network that aims to accelerate sustainable business practices in Norway. S-HUB brings together companies and leaders who want to drive sustainable transformation and create positive impact through business strategy and action. S-HUB provides insights, knowledge sharing, and tools to help businesses develop and implement more sustainable strategies.
• QuizrrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuizrr is a digital e-learning platform designed to strengthen knowledge of human rights and labor rights in global supply chains. In 2024, Unil supported Quizrr training at four factories in Thailand and China, reaching 1,322 participants including 96 from management.
• Regnskogfondet (Rainforest Foundation Norway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnil supports Regnskogfondet's work through Eldorado Paranøtter (Brazil nuts) — for each bag sold, 5 NOK goes to Regnskogfondet's work to protect the world's rainforests.
• Wild Berry InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnil participates in the Wild Berry Initiative, working to strengthen working conditions for berry pickers in Sweden and Finland through close supplier follow-up and the introduction of the Employer Pays Principle (EPP).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Orkla ASA: Headquartered in Norway, Orkla is a branded consumer goods group spanning grocery, household, personal care, and textiles — directly analogous to Unil's multi-category brand-house model anchored in the Nordic market.
• TreeHouse Foods, Inc. North America's largest private-label food manufacturer, producing store-brand packaged foods and beverages for major retailers — a scaled analogue to Unil's role developing and supplying NorgesGruppen's private-label portfolio.
• Refresco Group: Global independent bottler producing private-label beverages for retailers and brands across Europe — comparable to Unil in operating as a high-volume, retailer-aligned contract manufacturer in the consumer-goods space.
• Princes Group: UK-headquartered food and drink group with significant private-label production across grocery categories, supplying European retailers — a direct functional peer to Unil as a multi-category retail-anchored brand and supply partner.
• McBride plc: UK-listed pure-play private-label brand house supplying household and personal care products to European retailers — directly comparable in business model to Unil's branded, retailer-anchored product development across categories.

Regional players

• Kesko Oyj: Finnish retailer with a developed private-label program across grocery and household; runs an integrated brand-and-retail model in a neighboring market that competes at the category level with NorgesGruppen/Unil's brands.
• Axfood AB: Swedish grocery retailer (owner of Willys and Hemköp) with a large private-label assortment; a Nordic-region comparator for Unil's retailer-anchored private-label development model.
• Menigo Foodservice AB: Sweden's largest independent foodservice distributor with branded and private-label ranges serving HoReCa — a close functional analogue to Unil+'s over-7,000-customer professional-kitchen channel in Norway.

Broad incumbents

• Coop Norge SA: Norway's second-largest grocery group, which operates its own extensive private-label portfolio across food, household, and textiles — competes with NorgesGruppen/Unil in the same captive-shelf, private-label model but as a retailer-led incumbent rather than a brand-house subsidiary.

Others

• Daymon: Global private-label services firm covering brand strategy, sourcing, and packaging for retailers worldwide — relevant adjacent peer because it sits in the same private-label value chain as Unil but offers services rather than owning and operating branded product lines itself.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unil-as

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unil