420 km by car to meet important social entrepreneurs

They are manual and digital. Serve villagers and tourists. Operated as a limited company or cooperative. During the past six months, around 45 stores in rural areas have been visited by Region Norrbotten.
- These traders are social entrepreneurs, they are very important for the local community, says strategist Roger Ylinenpää.

To prevent shops and fuel stations from disappearing, Region Norrbotten is providing support for commercial services in sparsely populated areas. Since May, Roger and his colleague Petra Selberg have been visiting the companies that have received or have the opportunity to apply for support. This has taken them to villages and smaller communities in all the municipalities in the county. In total, there have been 420 kilometers on the roads in Norrbotten.

– It has been very rewarding to meet them face to face, and to see their business, what the store looks like, what the surroundings are like – to get that picture clear, says Petra.

The countryside is part of the fabric of society. Services in villages not only make it more attractive to live there but also provide jobs. Shops and other services facilitate other businesses and are an important part of Norrbotten's crisis preparedness.

It has taken a lot of planning to put the routes together. 

“Great variety”

The first visit was on May 31st in Sjulsmark – a completely digital store. The last was in Kåbdalis on November 15th.

– There is a lot of variety, that is part of the charm. Slagnäs country store is built together with Folkets Hus. In Aapua, the store is housed in a meeting room and the sports club runs it. In Glommersträsk, entrepreneurs and residents of the town have joined forces and formed a limited company to save the store.

In some places, it is cross-border trade that makes things happen. The shop in Jäckvik is actually far from the border and only has 40 permanent residents, but Norwegians come there in buses. In Pello and Kaunisjouensuu, the Finns support the shops with a lot of tobacco purchases. In other places, the customers are mostly locals. Vitvattnet stands out – in addition to the shop, the economic association has fuel, home services, taxis, school transport and a heating plant.

Mikael Eliasson in Vitvattnet has built up a business with ten employees since the 90s.

– We want to strengthen the stores so that they can remain. It is an important meeting place. Many people use the help of pensioners to unpack goods, it creates a sense of community around it, says Petra.

From Gothenburg to Porjus

The visits have been a way to learn more about how the shops are doing and how the Norrbotten Region can contribute to a viable rural and sparsely populated area. In some villages, brave traders have dared to open new ones after the village lacked a shop. One of them is Denise Magnusson, who moved to Porjus from Gothenburg and started up a shop that had been closed for several years.

– I was looking for a quieter environment for the children, wanted to get close to the mountains and forests here. Found the right place, I feel the peace here. I have been warmly welcomed, she said when Region Norrbotten came to visit.

Returnee Reidun Fagerström came to Murjek and took over the store. It is now a full-range store with several agency functions.

– Even though it's a lot of work, it's worth it. I get so much love from all the people here!, said Reidun during the visit.

Susann Svennemyr was born and raised in Stockholm but now runs Muodoslompolos Lanthandel. The family that took over the business on Seskarö had never worked in a store.

– It's awesome, they are real enthusiasts who only do what they believe in. Then there are those who have run a store for generations, it's someone's father or grandfather who started it. The family has decided to fight to keep it going, says Petra.

– You have to take care of the customers here in the mountains, so if someone calls and wants to shop even outside opening hours, you just have to step in and open, says Johan Sandlund, who runs Camp Polcirkeln not far from Vuoggatjålme in Arjeplog municipality.

“The hybrid store is in fashion”

Roger says that some stores are having trouble finding staff. Labor shortages and long distances are causing this. Some are looking at the possibility of becoming hybrid stores and being able to offer fully digital commerce during times when the store is unmanned.

– Hybrid stores are really in fashion and most people see that. It offers a great opportunity to increase sales, people in the area can shop in the local store and not where they work. There are many advantages to hybrid, we will probably see more of that, says Petra.

The single longest trip involved over a hundred miles in one of Region Norrbotten's hybrid cars and took Petra and Roger to eleven stores: Lansjärv-Nattavaara-Hakkas-Ullatti-Skaulo-Kaunisjoensuu-Tärendö-Korpilombolo-Aapua-Pello-Juoksengi. One thing becomes very clear on such a trip: it has been an exodus.

– Every small village has a house with a large shop window that used to be a shop. Huge school buildings stand there empty. It feels good that we were able to do the road trip and make contacts with the enthusiasts and social entrepreneurs. This may not be where we create growth, those are not nice words – it is daily necessities. But if you want to be able to live there, you have to have that service, says Roger.

Text: Sara Stylbäck Vesa