Activists launch campaign against large chains in Oslo, call on people to buy at local small shops

Activists at Grünerløkka in Oslo are trying to get people to shop at local small shops. They created several homemade posters.

A poster with the restaurant chain Egon’s logo and the message “may open soon” was placed above the Bass restaurant. 

Similar posters with logos of McDonald’s, Starbucks, and KFC were placed over other small shops.

“We want to make people aware that there are several things we can do right now, even though we are in a vulnerable time, to avoid big brands from taking over the local environment,” Behold Oslo wrote on its Instagram account.

They encouraged people to shop for Christmas gifts in local stores that have smaller advertising budgets and are therefore less visible during the corona pandemic.

Positive feedback

“To avoid our favorite stores closing down and being replaced by large chains we already have in Karl Johan, they (editor’s note: the stores) need you to choose them now during the second round of COVID,” a poster outside the cafe Liebling noted.

Kom24 has spoken with Sollin Sæle, one of the initiators of the campaign, who says local residents are behind it. 

There has been a lot of feedback, according to Sæle.

“It’s completely crazy. I have been up all night and thus woke up a little late today. When I woke up, I saw we had a very good response. We are very happy about that, and it is touching that people care,” she said.

The plan was originally to let the posters hang out for the day, but it may be appropriate to leave them for a while longer.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today