Konsumentens hälsa som en del av företagets sociala ansvar : en fallstudie av två företag inom dagligvaruhandeln

Sammanfattning: We are currently more aware than ever about the impact of food on our health, but in the same time this trend put more pressure on the food retailers to do as much as possible to help their customers manage their weight and be healthy in general. This study aims to examine the corporate social responsibility for consumer health in food retailing, in which ways the companies promote healthy eating; in what extent they do it and also the motives for companies for corporate responsibility. The empirical study is limited to the market leading companies in Sweden, Coop and ICA, because the performance of the leading companies puts them in the strongest position to profit from shifting consumer trends, grow revenues and penetrate new markets and also enable them to make a strong case for the effectiveness of voluntary action, obviating the need for government intervention. A qualitative method was used in this study to get an accurate understanding how the food retailers take social responsibility for consumers health. The study is based on interviews with experts in the food retailers Coop and ICA, and the companies reporting in this area, annual reports, corporate responsibility reports and websites. In order to get a broader and more accurate representation of the examined subject interviews were also made with government represantives such as The Swedish National institute of Public Health and National Food Administration. The study uses an exploratory approach, because this is a relatively un- researched subject and the fact that food retailers acting in an uncertain and dynamic environment. The results demonstrate that the CSR information about healthy eating is generally netbased and that much is left to do practical in the stores to help customers make healthy related food choices. The study also demonstrates that Coop and ICA uses different marketing channels to communicate their commitment in health as information to customers through recipes to inspire customers getting a healthier lifestyle, promotion of healthy products (fruits and vegetables, wholegrain, keyhole products) in the stores and sponsoring of physical activities. The ways in which Coop and ICA do their communication to the stakeholders showed a lot of similarities between the companies and that their corporate responsibility reports were taking up the most controversial issues as trans fet and food additives . The greatest difference was that ICA has developed its own healthy line.