Alko

Alko Inc

Type	Government enterprise
Industry	Alcoholic beverages
Founded	1932
Headquarters	Helsinki, Finland
Key people	Hille Korhonen (President and CEO)
Products	Alcoholic beverages
Revenue	1,172.6 million € (2009)
Operating income	74.6 million € (2009)
Number of employees	2,741 (2009)
Website	www.alko.fi

Alko is the national alcoholic beverage retailing monopoly in Finland. It is the only store in the country which retails beer over 4.7% ABV, wine (except in vineyards) and spirits. Alcoholic beverages are also sold in licensed restaurants and bars but only for consumption on the premises. Alko is required by law to sell drinks with lower alcohol content than 4.7% and non-alcoholic alternatives, but in practice carries a very limited stock of low alcohol beer, cider and non-alcoholic drinks and mixers as supermarkets sell the same products at a lower price. By law, alcoholic drinks may only be sold to those aged 18 or above.

As the only retailer of strong alcoholic beverages in Finland, Alko has an extensive range of products ranging from rare wines to bulk vodka. Its wine selection has grown in recent decades as there has been an increase in consumption and a government drive to change Finnish drinking habits to a more "European" style, which means a move from hard liquor to wine and beer. While wine consumption has increased, this has not replaced consumption of other alcoholic beverages, negating the "Europeanisation" argument. Nowadays wines occupy most of the shelf space in an Alko shop. Its beer selection is concentrated on stronger versions of the domestic bulk lagers and some high-quality strong beers from major beer-producing countries as well as traditional Sahti at some locations. Hard spirits include several Finnish brands of vodka and all major types of hard liquor. Alko also sells brands of drinks produced by the Finnish state-owned company Altia, which are traditional products and not sold abroad. Many of these date back to the first products launched after the end of prohibition in Finland. These are usually for mixing drinks.

Alko is a government-owned enterprise reporting to the Finnish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. As of December 2009^[update], it has 346 shops and 121 order points throughout the country. Alko shop locations have to be approved by National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Finnish abbreviation Valvira). Only once has an application for a new Alko shop been denied. In 2003, an application for a location in Koivukylä, Vantaa, was rebuffed because there was a kindergarten next to the planned location. Earlier shops were located separately from other retail outlets, but beginning in the 1990s a growing number of Alkos have appeared in malls and supermarkets, some even in gas stations. Under the Alcohol Act, Alkos cannot have a window display, so stores often have a display of wine glasses and catalogues.