In 2023, our Finnish variety discount retailer Tokmanni Group started
its international expansion. As we now operate in Finland, Sweden,
and Denmark, the importance and effectiveness of our sustainability
work are emphasised more than ever before. We will continue to
serve our customers with pride, and our ambition is to be the leader in
sustainability in Northern Europe’s variety discount retail segment.
When someone mentions the word
Tokmanni, the first things that come to mind
for many people usually are low prices and
wide product assortment. We have been and
will be extremely proud to be able to offer
our customers value-for-money products for
everyday use at the lowest possible price.
At the same time, we have a sustainability
agenda that is more ambitious than many
might think. Concrete actions matter, and
over the past years, we have made significant
progress following our four sustainability
themes: Climate, People, Products and
Sourcing, and Business integrity.
In 2023, we updated Tokmanni Group’s
Human Rights Policy and made progress
in our climate work in accordance with our
climate targets that are officially approved by
the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
We determinedly continued to focus on energy
efficiency and emission-free solar energy. For example, the design and construction
work of Moreeni, our new logistics centre in
Finland that was fully completed in late 2023,
complies with the “Very Good” rating level
of the BREEAM environmental certification
criteria. Moreover, Moreeni hosts the largest
roof-mounted solar power plant complex in
Finland. We also continued to encourage our
suppliers to decrease their emissions, and by
the end of 2023, almost half of our suppliers
measured by spend, covering purchased
goods and services and supplying products
to our Tokmanni store chain, had set science-based targets.
A successful company must also act in
a socially responsible way. In Finland, we
continued to focus on mental well-being of
our employees and to support organisations
such as the MIELI Mental Health Finland, the
John Nurminen Foundation, and Hurstinapu
charity. In Sweden, we continued our long-term
cooperation with Stockholm City Mission by
donating various product samples.
The year 2023 was a significant year
of growth for our Tokmanni Group, as we
acquired Click Shoes and Shoe House, two
Finnish footwear retail chains, and Dollarstore,
a Swedish variety discount retailer operating
with Dollarstore brand in Sweden and Big Dollar
brand in Denmark, for example. From now on,
the ambition of the Tokmanni Group is to be
the leader in sustainability in Northern Europe’s
variety discount retail segment. At this very
moment, we are in the middle of a transition
where Dollarstore, Big Dollar, Click Shoes and
Shoe House will be integrated into Tokmanni’s
sustainability work that is guided by our
Group’s strategy. In 2024, we will develop a
common sustainability agenda for the Group.
I can already promise that as a result, we will
have an ambitious agenda with clear targets for
the whole Tokmanni Group.
I’m more than pleased to disclose that our
integration work and Nordic cooperation have
started extremely well as our ways of working
and company cultures are very similar. We have
already shared best practices in sustainability
matters and especially in responsible sourcing,
to name a few. Additionally, a considerable
number of our new colleagues in Sweden and
Denmark have now completed our Code of
Conduct training.
It is obvious that the upcoming regulation
will make us expand our sustainability activities
and reporting. We must thoroughly understand
the impacts of our business on the whole value
chain, review the current ways of working, and
ensure transparent and timely communication
and reporting to our stakeholders. I’m pleased
to say that this work is already well underway.
I’m very proud of our skilled retail
professionals who are developing Tokmanni,
Dollarstore, Big Dollar, Click Shoes, Shoe House,
Miny, and thereby Tokmanni Group further.
Thanks to our dedicated teamwork, I’m highly
convinced that we have a lot more to achieve.
- Mika Rautiainen, President and CEO,
Tokmanni Group Corporation, April 2023