Ukrainsk dagligvaretopp: – Ha litt kontanter

Roman Korsak, the head of Spar in Ukraine, which operates 107 stores during the war, has opened 90 new stores throughout the conflict. However, he has also closed some, as he explains to a Norwegian conference. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, stores have been bombed, warehouses destroyed by Russian drones, and power outages caused by repeated attacks.

Korsak notes that electricity costs have tripled since the war began. For a recent winter, Spar stores experienced periods without power for up to 12 hours. Korsak advises that there's no preparation for such crises, but there are two key things that can be done: first, communicate with people and create a sense of security, and second, have cash available in case payment systems fail.

This applies to both stores and individual customers. He suggests that Norway, a very cash-based society, might consider keeping some cash reserves on hand. In recent years, resilience in daily necessities has become a more important topic in Norway. In 2023, DSB found that the entire food supply chain is dependent on electricity.

That same year, the State Audit Office criticized Norway for not being well prepared for a serious disruption in the food supply. In March 2025, Finland introduced a network of around 300 daily necessities stores and 120 fuel stations with emergency power and other solutions to ensure operation during major disruptions. Shortly after, the Norwegian Parliament decided to establish a similar arrangement.

While the government has not gone that far yet, the public sector must contribute. However, the Norwegian Group chose to take the lead.