Type Division Key people Lars Behrendt Parent organization KNI A/S Area served Greenland | Industry Retail
Public services Website pilersuisoq.gl Headquarters Sisimiut, Greenland | |
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Pilersuisoq is a chain of all-purpose general stores in Greenland, a major division of the state-owned KNI conglomerate. Like its parent company, it is based in Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), the second-largest town in Greenland.
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Lars Behrendt is the administrative director of the company since 2008.
Operations
The chain operates 68 outlets in all small settlements in the country, as well as smaller towns which are not covered by the Pisiffik or Brugsen supermarket chains. The stores in remote settlements are supplied by Royal Arctic Line but the intervals between the shipments are long, with some settlements like Ittoqqortoormiit supplied only twice a year and others like Qaanaaq supplied only once a year.
Supplies to settlements in eastern Greenland will be more effectively distributed from Iceland due to thinning of the ice in the Denmark Strait and southern Greenland Sea. The new arrangement was proposed in 2010 during the annual conference of the West Nordic Council in Tasiilaq. The Government of Greenland has yet to respond to the proposal.
Post and banking
Pilersuisoq stores have an integrated Post Greenland office, the employees of which also process bank operations on behalf of the Bank of Greenland.
Duty-free
Pilersuisoq also operates the duty-free stores at the Kangerlussuaq Airport and Narsarsuaq Airport, although as of August 2010 the future of all duty-free stores in Greenland (including a stand at Kulusuk Airport) is uncertain due to budget cuts considered by the Government of Greenland. By 2013 the pre-2010 rules regarding duty-free sales have been restored.
District heliports
Passenger check-in for Air Greenland helicopter flights from the settlement heliports is performed by Pilersuisoq employees at the local store, in the Post Greenland counter. The passenger does not receive a boarding pass, but the baggage is tagged, unless the passenger does not connect in a local helicopter hub. Baggage is transported in a tractor between the heliport and the Pilersuisoq store.