When Extra opened its first store in 2006, few believed they could compete with the well-established discount retail giants. Seventeen years later, Extra has firmly established itself as one of the top three retail chains in Norway.

The challenge they face is the need to deliver stores with exceptional customer service and experiences. They must elevate their operational efficiency, striving for continuous improvement. This is especially demanding in the competitive low-cost segment.

Extra’s primary objective is to become the largest and leading player in the Norwegian grocery market. To achieve this, they need a collective winning culture where all employees deliver on concept implementation, customer service and sales.

The concept “The fastest employees in the world” is a metaphor for perfect concept implementation, where all the employees contribute and has a personal responsibility to deliver for the team. This stunt illustrates what the employees at Extra can achieve when everybody deliver above their own expectation.

Norway's low-cost grocery market is exceptionally challenging due to price-conscious consumers who meticulously compare prices. It’s a though, high pace business with small margins. This demands engaged and committed employees with a understanding of the company strategy. Geographical factors also contribute to high operational costs, underscoring the importance of employees diligently following the concept. This complexity demands a deep understanding and innovative strategies for success, making it a unique and demanding sector globally.

Extra wants to be number one in the Norwegian grocery market. The challenge is to engage a decentralized culture with a diverse workforce and create a collective winning culture with an understanding of the company strategy. We wanted to create a big collective happening bringing employees together across the country and make them believe in the limitless power of collective force.

To break the 5000 meter world record we needed employees that could run a 100 meter in an estimated time between 14 and 16 seconds. We sent out invitations to employees all over the country. The applicants sent us test runs to qualify for the stunt. Some did not make the cut, but we wanted a diverse group of people so the stunt could represent the whole company. With some fast runners it added up in the excel sheet and we could break the record with a few seconds. We also did test runs on the day of the event.

To become number one in the Norwegian grocery market is almost impossible. To break the 5000 meter world record mirrored this challenge and made the employees believe in the impossible. And that was our breakthrough thinking.

This initiative significantly boosted internal pride and unity among Extra's employees, aligning with the company's overarching goal of becoming the number one player in the Norwegian grocery sector.

For Extra, one of Norways biggest sponsor of athletics, this creative stunt kindled a newfound passion for running among its workforce. Furthermore, it played a pivotal role in a gathering attended by over 500 store managers, underscoring its importance in transmitting the company's energetic culture.

Store managers have since utilized this initiative to exemplify the organization's values to new team members, emphasizing the significance of this shared culture in their journey to becoming the top player in the Norwegian grocery industry.

The stunt was live-streamed on Extra's internal Facebook group, which boasts nearly 10,000 members, just two hours before the 5000-meter run at the Oslo Bislett Games, a Diamond league athletics event. Connecting Extras performance driven culture with their brand and the achievements on the track field. The film was also shown on the big screen during the event.

Extra is Norway's fastest-growing grocery chain, consistently emerging as a growth leader year after year. They continue to increase their annual turnover. One of the key drivers behind Extra's success is their ongoing commitment to competence and cultural initiatives.

The 5000-meter stunt is a significant measure that have fostered unity, team spirit, efficiency, and motivation among all 10,000 employees, contributing to their ongoing expansion

The stunt gathered employees from all over the country to show their colleagues that we can overcome big challenges, motivating them to keep up the fight for the number one position in the Norwegian grocery market. Extra is known for their positive and energetic employees. This stunt harnessed this cultural quality and is aligned with the core brand identity.

“The fastest employees in the world” is a metaphor for concept implementation and operational efficiency. And the speed they have maintain in a highly competitive industry. We wanted to strengthen engagement giving the employees a boost they could use in the workday.