Willy:s Ab

What Willy:s Ab does

Willys AB is a Swedish discount grocery retail chain and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axfood AB, one of Sweden's largest food retail groups. Founded in Gothenburg, the company operates over 250 physical stores across Sweden from Kalix in the north to Trelleborg in the south under two store concepts (Willys and Willys Hemma), supported by a national e-commerce platform (willys.se), iOS and Android mobile apps, self-scanning checkout (handheld scanners and mobile), same-day Hämta pickup stations, and home delivery. Its stated business idea is delivering Sweden's cheapest grocery bag, with identical everyday-low pricing across physical and digital channels and an explicit commitment to pass through the 2026 Swedish VAT reduction on food.

The company's product and technology stack centers on a multi-channel retail platform integrating BankID for authentication, Swish and Klarna for payments, and the Willys Plus free digital loyalty program, which delivers personalized offers, digital receipts, saved payment methods, and frequent-item reordering. Willys also sells private-label brands Garant (quality-assured), Eldorado (low-price value), and Minstingen (children's products), and operates the Svinnsmart food-waste reduction program in partnership with Matmissionen. The platform is compliant with the Swedish Tillgänglighetslagen (2023:254) and follows EN 301549 and WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA accessibility standards.

Willys generates revenue through transaction-fee-based in-store and e-commerce grocery sales, freemium loyalty-driven personalization, and a smaller B2B corporate e-commerce channel. It serves primarily Swedish value-conscious households, with 11,000 employees working across the store network and a 150+ employee Gothenburg support office overseeing e-commerce, business development, marketing, finance, HR, IT, and store security functions. Eurocash Food AB operates two partner stores (Åmål Rondellen and Strömstad Shoppingcenter) under a collaboration agreement.

Name

Willy:s Ab

Legal name

Willys AB

Website

https://willys.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Willys AB is a Swedish discount grocery retailer and wholly-owned subsidiary of Axfood, operating 250+ stores across Sweden alongside an e-commerce platform, mobile app, and pickup and delivery services under the Willys and Willys Hemma concepts, serving value-conscious Swedish households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Discount Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Retail (5900)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk & Case-Lot Food Retailers (Non-membership) (CRAHACAF)

Keywords

• Discount grocery retail
• Online grocery shopping
• Private label brands
• Loyalty program services
• Food retail stores

Headquarters

HQ city

Goeteborg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales (In-Store): Physical store sales of food and daily goods across 250+ stores throughout Sweden
2. E-commerce Sales: Online grocery sales with pickup at stores (Hämta stations) or home delivery. Both options include a picking fee; home delivery also includes a delivery cost.
3. Willys Plus Membership: Free loyalty program generating revenue through increased customer spend and data-driven personalized marketing. Members receive offers, discounts, and personalized experiences.
4. B2B Corporate E-commerce: Corporate customers can e-order for business purposes with separate terms and conditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Willys AB is a Swedish discount grocery retailer selling food and everyday household goods at the lowest everyday prices through 250+ Willys and Willys Hemma stores, the willys.se e-commerce site, and the Willys iOS/Android app. Customers can shop in-store, use Hämta pickup stations for same-day collection, or order home delivery, with the same prices online and in physical stores. The assortment includes private label brands Garant (quality-assured), Eldorado (low-price value), and Minstingen (children's products), supported by the free Willys Plus loyalty program offering personalized discounts and digital receipts.

Product overview

Willy:s Ab operates as a Swedish discount grocery retail chain offering a unified shopping experience across physical stores and digital channels. The core offering consists of over 250 Willys and Willys Hemma stores, complemented by the willys.se e-commerce platform and Willys App. Key add-on services include the Willys Plus loyalty program, self-scanning checkout, Hämta-station pickup lockers, and home delivery. The company also offers private label brands including Garant (quality assured), Eldorado (low-price value), and Minstingen (children's products). The Svinnsmart sustainability initiative addresses food waste reduction. The business model centers on delivering Sweden's cheapest grocery bag with the same low prices both in-store and online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Garant: House private-label brand offering food products with guaranteed quality, origin, and pricing. Part of Willys' private-label assortment.
• Eldorado
• Minstingen

Products and services

• Willys discount grocery stores (Willys and Willys Hemma) Discount grocery retail service operating 250+ Willys and Willys Hemma stores across Sweden from Kalix in the north to Trelleborg in the south, offering everyday low-priced food and household goods to Swedish consumers.
• Willys e-commerce (willys.se) Online grocery shopping platform where Swedish consumers can browse the full Willys assortment, pay with Klarna or Swish, and choose Hämta same-day pickup or home delivery with a picking fee (and an additional delivery cost for home delivery).
• Willys Plus loyalty program Free digital loyalty membership offering Swedish shoppers personalized offers, purchase tracking, digital receipts, shopping lists, and saved payment methods, with discounts applied automatically at checkout when linked to a bank card or Swish.
• Willys mobile app (iOS and Android) Willys-branded mobile app for iOS and Android that enables online shopping, self-scanning in-store, access to Willys Plus personalized offers, push notifications, shopping lists, and electronic receipts.
• Hämta pickup stations Self-service pickup service where e-commerce customers retrieve pre-packed grocery bags at Hämta stations located at or near Willys stores using phone-number confirmation, supporting same-day pickup from 16:30 when ordered before 12:00 on weekdays.
• Self-scanning checkout service In-store checkout service that lets customers scan items while shopping using borrowed handheld scanners or the Willys app on their own phone, then pay at self-checkout stations, with random verification by staff.
• Willys corporate e-commerce (B2B) Business-to-business online grocery ordering service for Swedish companies, operating under separate corporate terms and conditions for workplace supplies and catering purchases.
• Garant private label Willys house private-label brand offering food products with guaranteed origin, quality, and reasonable pricing, positioned as the quality-assured tier of the store assortment.
• Eldorado private label Willys low-price private-label brand offering reliable everyday food products at the lowest prices, sourced through high-volume purchasing and constant price challenges.
• Minstingen private label Willys affordable private-label children's range including diapers, wet wipes, pouches, and other baby and toddler items designed to make family life simpler and more affordable.

Quantifiable outcome

• Halved food waste over the past 10 years through various waste-reduction initiatives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Eurocash Food ABminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEurocash Food AB (Org. 556503-6141) operates two partner stores: Willys Åmål Rondellen and Willys Strömstad Shoppingcenter. Willys handles e-commerce orders for pickup at these locations while Eurocash manages product picking and payment reception.
• MatmissionencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWillys collaborates closely with Matmissionen, donating food and helping build their social grocery stores across Sweden. This partnership addresses food waste and social responsibility by supporting community-based food initiatives.
• Generation PepminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWillys collaborates with Generation Pep (an Axfood partner) on health initiatives, specifically promoting healthy snacking and nutrition for children and youth. Generation Pep works toward the vision of all children and youth in Sweden having the opportunity and desire to live an active and healthy life.
• AxfoodcoreOthersWillys is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axfood AB, one of Sweden's leading grocery retail companies. Axfood provides group benefits including volume purchasing power, shared services, and brand portfolio including Garant and Eldorado private labels.
• MatpriskollenminorOthersMatpriskollen is an independent organization that verifies Willys has passed on VAT reductions to customers. They conduct price checks in stores, online, and via spot checks to ensure consumers benefit from tax changes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• City Gross: Another Axfood-affiliated banner operating larger-format, lower-priced stores. Directly comparable on price-led positioning and shared Axfood infrastructure (private labels, supply chain), making it a sister-discount peer to Willys.
• Lidl Sverige: Swedish arm of the German hard-discount grocer Lidl. Closest direct competitor to Willys on the discount-grocery dimension, competing head-to-head on price, private-label breadth (similar to Garant/Eldorado), and store footprint.
• Mat.se: Online-focused Swedish grocery delivery service. Competes with Willys e-commerce on convenience, pickup, and home delivery propositions, particularly in urban Swedish markets.
• Coop Sverige: Swedish consumer cooperative grocery chain, one of the three major grocers alongside ICA and Axfood-owned banners. Directly competes with Willys across formats and also owns the former Netto discount stores in Sweden.
• Mathem: Swedish online grocery retailer offering home delivery across Sweden. Direct competitor to Willys's e-commerce platform (willys.se) and home delivery service, addressing the same digital grocery customer.
• Netto Sverige: Danish-origin hard-discount grocery chain now operating within Coop Sverige. Direct competitor on discount positioning and store footprint, comparable on low-price private-label-led assortment.
• ICA Gruppen (ICA / ICA Maxi / ICA Nära): Sweden's largest grocery retailer operating multiple banners (ICA Maxi, ICA Kvantum, ICA Supermarket, ICA Nära). Directly competes with Willys across price points and formats, with ICA Maxi specifically overlapping in low-price positioning and large-format grocery.
• Hemköp: Sister banner within the Axfood group, focused on premium and urban grocery formats. Comparable as an Axfood-affiliated grocery retailer and represents the closest internal benchmark for Willys within the same parent ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Rusta: Swedish discount variety retailer selling general merchandise and household goods at low prices. Comparable on the Swedish value-retail customer segment and low-price operating model, though focused on non-food categories.
• DollarStore: Swedish dollar/variety store chain focused on extreme-value household goods. Adjacent comparator on discount-retail operating model and value-conscious Swedish consumer base, though with a small-box general merchandise (not grocery) proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WillysAB
• Facebookfacebook.com/WillysSverige
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willys-sverige
• Instagraminstagram.com/willyssverige
• TikToktiktok.com/@willyssverige

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Willy:s Ab