The ICA dealer in northern Scania has not only contributed by donating supplies to Ukraine. He has also bought in foodstuffs from the war-torn country – which has spread widely.
– People are becoming more and more interested, says Thomas Persson, trader for Ica in Osby.
A picture of the Ukrainian section in the Ica store in Osby has been widely circulated on Twitter. The person behind the initiative is the trader Thomas Persson.
He says that the idea comes from a Ukrainian woman who lives in Sweden and works for an aid organization. She also has several friends from her home country who have come here.
– We started collecting some supplies that were going to Ukraine, then they asked if we could consider buying products back, says Thomas Persson.
The ICA trader says that many people were a bit wait-and-see at first – but then things got rolling.
– People are becoming more and more interested, we have gained a lot of credit for doing this.
“They need all the help they can get”
Now the goods are displayed in the store, and last Saturday there was a taste test of the Ukrainian range, which consists of flour, couscous, bulgur, soups and sweets.
– They had baked some bread and cookies too. The bread is baked in the Kharkiv province, which is in the middle of the dough. They need all the help they can get, he says.
Thomas Persson points out that it is a collaboration between several actors in society that made it possible. Everything from arranging transport, to making labels for the ingredients in Swedish so that the goods can be sold.
Want to bring the head office
Now there are plans to expand the range, and soon another delivery from Ukraine is planned. Thomas Persson is also trying to get the head office to jump on the project.
– We hope that more ICA traders will help. Right now there are four of us, and we have another one on the way who accepted today.