Odd Reitan & family

Early Life

Odd Reitan was born on September 11, 1951, in Trondheim, Norway, to Ole Reitan and Margit Aarhaug, who were single-store grocers. His upbringing instilled in him a deep understanding of the grocery business from an early age.

Rise to Success

Reitan established his first shop in Trondheim in 1972, in cooperation with his father. In 1979, he established the grocery chain store REMA 1000, which became a great success. By 1990, every village in Norway with more than 10,000 inhabitants had a REMA 1000 shop. During the 1990s, the chain expanded in Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Key Business Strategies

Reitan's success stems from his focus on a franchise model and creating a value-driven company. Reitan Retail's values are: We stick to our business model, we keep high moral standards, we are committed to being debt-free, we encourage a winning culture, we are positive and proactive, we talk with each other, not about each other, the customer is our ultimate boss, and we work for fun and profit.

Philanthropy

In 2013, Reitan awarded Norwegian kroner 2 million to Anlov Mathiesen, recognizing Mathiesen's work in increasing the self-respect of street magazine vendors.