Sales Leader of the Month with Mindit – Björn Norén at Löfbergs

Interview with Björn Norén, Head of Retail at Löfbergs

In the heart of coffee-loving Sweden stands Löfbergs with Björn Norén as a brewmaster for business and culture. Löfbergs' passion for coffee and good coffee has driven the company since 1906.

A family-owned coffee roastery in Karlstad has managed to transform Löfbergs from a local business into an international player. In this context, Björn Norén and his team now manage and develop the sales assignment to the grocery retail sector in Sweden.

Sustainability and quality are the starting point for the team that has helped make Löfbergs one of the world's leading buyers of organic and Fairtrade-certified coffee.

“The good taste and sustainability are an important part that you can see has had a clear footprint throughout history. For example, Löfbergs was the first to bring home a container of organic coffee in the 90s before there was even any major demand for it,” says Björn.

How to create sales success in the coffee industry

Björn Norén, who is Head of Retail and Sales Manager of the Month with Mindit, has, in collaboration with regional managers Patrik Andersson and Paul Mourad, taken a leadership role in the development work. Their contribution has included including including Löfberg's values, goals and sales process into the training that included the 17 field salespeople. Löfberg's, which has a turnover of 1.3 billion SEK, has strengthened its position in the market in recent years. The long-term strategy has proven successful. The company's success is based on a winning corporate culture where everyone is involved and contributes to the whole. Björn and his team have succeeded in creating an environment where "best practice" is shared and all voices are heard. The training effort with Mindit has been summarized in Löfberg's Playbook, which describes the sales process in a way that makes it easy to use the tools in the operational sales assignment.

In Björn's own words; "We have worked together to develop strategic goals, where the sales organization, marketing, KAM and RC have been put together as a team and really worked together. That interaction is an incredibly strong team effort. We are really moving in step and have a very clear plan. Everyone has been involved in creating our 'Playbook' and then rolling it out to the store and out to the customer. In addition to clear goals and a strong strategy, the winning culture plays an important role."

Löfbergs doubles its share and becomes market leader

Doubling market share in just three years demonstrates a strong and resilient company even in challenging times.

“Success is based on a strong customer focus, our effort to always go the extra mile – to contribute knowledge and service to our customers. We always want to be at the forefront of developments in our industry with good offers, creating exciting shopping experiences in stores, product development and sustainability. However, there is still a lot to do, when you have reached the top, everyone wants to knock you down, so it will be both an exciting and fun challenge in the coming years.” – Björn

Join us on the journey from bean to cup

With QR codes, Löfbergs consumers can now track the journey of their coffee, strengthening the bond between producer and end consumer. It is this type of transparent communication and innovation that makes Löfbergs unique and future-oriented.

The purple thread, an iconic presence that weaves together branding and sales

Löfbergs and its iconic purple color have a unique place at the heart of the brand. This color has been part of the company's identity since the 1920s, and is so important that it is now trademarked. The love story between Löfbergs and the purple color started when the coffee roaster started selling its coffee in colorful packaging. The most popular was Löfbergs Lyxblandning, which was sold in a purple package. After that, it wasn't long before Löfbergs became Löfbergs Lila in the vernacular. Although Löfbergs has returned to its original name, the purple color is as warm to the heart today as it was a hundred years ago and is the very core of Löfbergs' identity.

A future vision of communication and identity – The 'purple' extra

With the communication concept “WHAT ARE YOU GETTING UP FOR?” Löfbergs challenges conventions and asks what truly motivates people. By focusing on the morning, they create a sense of ownership and identity that resonates with customers on a deeper level.

Björn says; by focusing on the morning, we have set a clear positioning linked to the curious question “What do you get up for?” We have interviewed people from all over Sweden with different backgrounds. In this way, an exciting interaction and an emotional connection is created between Löfbergs and the target group, who get to describe their everyday lives. The morning and the taste experience of a good cup of coffee, have an important role in the hearts of many Swedes.

The Coffee of the Future: “It's all about the people”

Löfbergs’ long-term goal is sustainable growth and innovative solutions that will define the next generation of “Löfbergare”. For Löfbergs, sustainability does not just mean organic beans and Fairtrade certifications; it also means securing the company’s future through innovation. In an era where technology and digital presence are crucial, and with a focus on sustainability and a superior taste experience, Löfbergs continues to deliver inspiring coffee meetings. Björn’s belief in the human factor in harmony with technology shows that the company prioritizes relationships, both online and offline.

Björn; “Being present in stores and digitally is crucial to remaining relevant in the market. We are constantly working to create inspiring shopping experiences, and it is precisely this pursuit of customer-focused innovation that keeps us at the forefront.”

Sales Leader of the Month Björn, gives tips to others in leadership roles

“You can have all the nice goals, maps, strategies, Powerpoints and Excel documents you want, but it is the winning culture with the customer in focus that is the foundation. Because if you don't have the enthusiasm and the belief that you can achieve barrier-breaking goals and change things, then you won't reach the goals anyway. Business is done between people, although of course it happens more and more with data-driven support. There are still people out there who drink a cup at the café, buy the coffee and all the goods in the store. It is still people who have a great influence on what the coffee shelf will ultimately look like. In an era where everything is going to be digitalized, what cannot be digitalized will have an even higher value. “It's all about the people” therefore applies to the greatest extent going forward. Good and exciting coffee experiences are our contribution when the digital and the physical meet. – Björn

Löfbergs' journey under Björn Norén's leadership is about immense customer focus, tradition, innovation and a constant pursuit of improvement. With a deep-rooted love for coffee and an eye towards the future, Löfbergs continues to shape the coffee industry both in Sweden and around the world.