Rules for collaboration with Alko shops

The rules for collaboration with Alko shops ensure an impartial co-operation with the suppliers. By suppliers we mean here alcoholic beverage suppliers.

Supplier’s news, information and brochures

As a rule, the Alko Yammer functions as the main supplier information channel for the shops. News, information and e-brochures sent by the suppliers are published on Alko’s Yammer group.

Supplier’s communication is sent to the following email address:

tavarantoimittajatiedotteet@alko.fi

Information published via Alko Yammer is available for the benefit of the entire retail staff. The information is wished to inform which things make the product special. The information can include links to supplier’s webpages. Shop personnel is also able to watch videos via Yammer group. Attachments are hoped to be in pdf form.

As there is a centralized information channel for the shops to use, suppliers are allowed to send separate product-specific brochures by email straight to shops four times per year preferably regularly during the year. Any general newsletters cannot be sent to Alko shops’ emails. Alko shops’ email addresses can be found in a contact information report on Alko Extranet portal. The product-specific brochures on paper can be sent by post mail to Alko shops when needed. 

Meetings between suppliers and shop personnel

Meetings in Alko shops cannot been arranged after 1 January 2019.

Training collaboration

Alko has its own training system for Alko shop personnel. In the trainings shop personnel gets education of products by tasting them professionally. Products can be tasted, but it must be done professionally. In order to keep to fairness principles, shop personnel will not accept any promotional products from suppliers.

Supplier can arrange a professional training event for Alko shop personnel with a permission of Alko. During the event, the supplier will have the opportunity to present information which gives additional value to the personnel’s customer service. Shop personnel will not accept any promotional or other gifts or supplier’s products.

Training collaboration rules for organizing events and inviting Alko shop personnel:

1. All events arranged in any part of Finland need to be agreed with Alko’s Selections, Products and Quality department

• Supplier can send the invitation straight to the relevant shops. The invitation must include a statement that the event has a permission from Alko. The training is arranged with Purchasing Coordinators via email (tavarantoimittajatilaisuudet@alko.fi).

• The events are instructed to be organized in such a way that there is one supplier's event per city for the same day, so that Alko employees have an equal opportunity to participate in all events and at the same time strive to allow a sufficient number of visitors per event. 

• Alko will inform Alko’s internal network about the training events. Hence all Alko shop personnel have a possibility to participate in the event.

2. Training event times must be scheduled from Monday to Thursday not on weekends.

3. The organizer of the event is responsible to organize everything including making and managing invitations.

• We collect information on training events to get a comprehensive picture of the development of our personnel's skills. The organizer of the event must report the participants from Alko afterwards via this link: https://response.questback.com/alkooy/tavarantoimittajienkoulutustilaisuudet (only in Finnish)

4. The trainings can be:

• Nationwide tours organized specifically for Alko

• Separate training events e.g. client visits organized specifically for Alko

• Training events open also for other professionals.

5. The inviting organization is responsible for all costs of the event.

• The participation to the events is voluntary for Alko personnel. The participation is not working hours for Alko shop personnel. Alko shop personnel will keep to good practice as determined by society as well as Alko’s business principles at all times.

Suppliers’ product fairs

The suppliers’ product fair is an event where suppliers are responsible for presenting products and Alko personnel is participant.

The suppliers’ product fairs are organized in a place reserved by Alko. Alko will organize glasses for tasting, tables and cleaning of the room.

Suppliers are responsible for drinks, spittoons and other needed supplementary material (e.g. brochures). The suppliers also need to add marketing information of presented products into Taste deposit before the event. The presented and tasted products must be on Alko’s selection or have a listing date within the next season. The presented products are hoped to be focused on topical products and novelties. Topical topics can be found in the document of seasonal special displays in Alko shop. Making and tasting of mixed drinks/cocktails is possible in the product fairs. Food cannot be served in the event.

Alko has previously organized its own open-door events (where personnel have a possibility to visit and taste novelties as well as topical products in one hour) in Alko’s regions. The open-door events and also the in-shop meetings between supplier and shop personnel are partly meant to be replaced with the suppliers’ product fair. The fairs will be from 09.30 to 16.30, and during this time the Shop Assortment Experts will participate in the fairs with four working hours and other personnel have a possibility to participate for one hour.

The invitation for suppliers’ product fairs is published always separately on Alko’s For suppliers webpages. The invitation includes a link for a binding registration for the event.

Customer surveys and photographing at Alko shops

No surveys directed at customers may be carried out on Alko property or in the immediate vicinity without the permission of the customer service management. Photographing on Alko properties is allowed, if it has been agreed on with the manager responsible for the shop in advance. If people are photographed and they are recognizable on the photo, their permission is required. Any larger scale photographing requires the permission of Alko’s customer service management.

Displaying products

Suppliers are not allowed to put up displays or put products on the shelves. Unloading is carried out at the warehouse.

Consumer marketing

Advertising and other sales promotion of mild alcohol beverages is possible under the preconditions set by the Alcohol Act.

In the marketing, the name of the advertiser should appear in the advertisement. It is not allowed to use Alko’s logo or other visual elements in the advertisements without permission. In addition, the advertisements of sale-to-order selection products should indicate that the product is available when ordered via the Alko Online shop. For such sale-to-order selection products that are available only locally, it is advisable to mention the shops where the product can be ordered or indicate the limited distribution area in some other way.

More detailed instructions and rules concerning the advertising of alcoholic beverages are available on the website of the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) at www.valvira.fi. Among these instructions are Valvira’s instructions concerning the advertising of alcoholic beverages, which include Valvira’s interpretation of the advertising regulations in the Alcohol Act. The instructions also tell about resolution practices.

Miscellaneous

Tastings or other types of sales promotions are not permitted in shops or in the immediate vicinity.

In order to keep to fairness principles, shop personnel will not accept any promotional or other gifts or supplier’s products.

Other codes of conduct

In addition to the above mentioned code, Alko’s personnel will keep to good practice as determined by society as well as Alko’s business principles at all times in their work and, consequently, the same is expected from business partners.

Contact: tavarantoimittajatiedotteet@alko.fi