Norway's NorgesGruppen has hired an increasing number of women in the role of merchants and store managers in recent years, the company said.
In 2018 alone, the retailer appointed 13 women in managerial roles, it said.
Of NorgesGruppen's 1800 grocery stores, around 40% were led by female store managers or merchants in 2018, which is an increase of almost three percentage points since 2014.
Gender Balance
Chief executive, Runar Hollevik, explained that gender balance is an importance part of diversity in the workplace.
"Many of the women who are now merchants have worked their way up the store. Often, they have started out as employees and then take on more and more responsibility," he added.
"Working in a grocery store provides development opportunities for those that are looking for them."
The company aims to achieve a 40%-60% women to men ratio in senior positions, according to chief executive Hollevik.
Overall, 60% of the convenience stores in Norway have female leaders, the company said.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.