“We’re losing advertising revenues and need to win back a larger share of the retail value chain. As e-commerce grows, it’s only natural that we should be following developments closely as part of our digital transformation,” says Harald Jacobsen, CEO of Fædrelandsvennen (FVN).
Linio.no is no traditional online store, but rather a digital shopping mall not unlike marketplaces such as eBay, CDON Marketplace and Amazon in that Linio receives commission on goods sold via its websites. The aim is to start turning a profit in 2015.
Linio.no is registered as a subsidiary of Fædrelandsvennen, but the aim is to draw on Schibsted Media Group’s entire Norwegian network. Linio.no offers SPiD (Schibsted Payment ID), Schibsted’s own universal payment solution.
Line Skaane, former marketing manager for the Norwegian online success Stormberg, is General Manager for the four members working on the project.
“Consumers who click their way into Linio.no will find products from a range of companies. We’ve only just started up and the range is limited, but big and well-known brands are on the way in. Each company – our partners – takes care of marketing their own products, including shipping,” says Line Skaane.
“Fædrelandsvennen provides the infrastructure and distribution capabilities. The idea for the concept comes from Fædrelandsvennen and has been developed here, but it’s on its way to being launched throughout the Norwegian Schibsted organization. It reaches eight of 10 Norwegians every day and has an established payment solution,” says Harald Jacobsen, and adds that partners can be retailers, wholesalers or chains.
So far, local businesses make up the majority, but the very nature of e-commerce makes geographic location unimportant, and companies from other parts of the country are signing up to join the portal.
Harald Jacobsen and Line Skaane
Not competing with its own customers
Are you concerned about giving the impression that Fædrelandsvennen is setting up its own online store and competing with its own customers?
“No. Over-the-counter commerce and Fædrelandsvennen as a traditional marketing channel will both remain important. But as I already said, e-commerce is undergoing strong growth and we must draw on our competitive advantages to secure a strong position in that market, too,” says Skaane.