Irma products are generating record revenue for Coop Danmark in 2025, even though all Irma supermarkets have been closed since 2023. According to new financial figures, turnover from the Irma-branded range will exceed half a billion kroner (around €67 million) this year, highlighting how a discontinued supermarket chain has become one of Coop’s most valuable product brands.
From Irma supermarket chain to premium product line
Irma was for decades one of Denmark’s most recognisable supermarket chains, particularly in Copenhagen and other parts of eastern Denmark. The chain, known for its blue-chequered coffee packs and the iconic Irma girl logo, positioned itself as an upmarket, quality-focused alternative within Coop’s portfolio.
In January 2023, Coop decided to close or rebrand the last 68 Irma stores, arguing that there was no longer a sustainable market for Irma as an independent chain. Management pointed to customers’ growing preference for discount formats and to intense competition in the Danish grocery sector. Most former Irma locations have since been converted to SuperBrugsen, Brugsen or 365discount stores.
The closures triggered protests and strong reactions from loyal customers, who associated Irma with quality, design and a particular Copenhagen identity. Demonstrations, petitions and critical commentary followed, with some customers accusing Coop of abandoning a piece of Danish everyday culture in favour of a more standardised discount strategy.
Half a billion kroner in Irma products revenue in 2025
Despite the disappearance of Irma’s physical stores, Irma products revenue has continued to grow. According to figures reported by TV 2 Kosmopol and Politiken, Coop expects sales of Irma-branded goods to surpass half a billion kroner in 2025, based on the group’s latest accounts. This is already more than the full-year turnover on Irma products in 2023 and 2024 and higher than in 2022, when Irma still operated its 68 stores.
The numbers underline a paradox: Irma earns more for Coop as a product line without stores than it did as a full supermarket chain. Irma-labelled items – from coffee and dairy to pantry staples and snacks – are now distributed across several of Coop’s chains, including SuperBrugsen, Kvickly and 365discount. The wider shelf presence has significantly expanded the brand’s reach beyond its traditional urban strongholds.
For Coop, the Irma range occupies a premium segment within its own-brand portfolio, often associated with higher quality, organic ingredients or more distinctive recipes. The strong performance of these products comes at a time when the group is working to stabilise its finances after several weak years and large restructuring costs.
Brand strategy and Coop’s search for profitable growth
The success of Irma products is closely linked to Coop’s broader turnaround strategy. After years of pressure from competitors such as Salling Group, REMA 1000 and Lidl, Coop has been restructuring its store network, simplifying concepts and investing in its own brands. In 2024, Coop Danmark returned to profit for the first time in several years, supported by cost-cutting measures and a new partnership structure with the energy company OK.
In April 2025, Coop announced that it would expand the Irma range by at least 100 new products, bringing the series to around 250 items by the end of the year. Management underlined that the Irma label will cover more categories and be visible in more stores, from full-line supermarkets to discount outlets. The group thus treats Irma as a strategic asset that can differentiate Coop from its competitors in a crowded market.
The decision to use the Irma name on a growing number of products reflects a broader trend in European retail: legacy supermarket brands that disappear as store networks can survive – and even thrive – as strong private labels. In Coop’s case, the Irma brand equity built over more than a century has been transferred from physical locations to packaging, design and product development.
Customer nostalgia and concerns about a diluted brand
The transformation of Irma from chain to standalone product brand has not ended the emotional debate around its legacy. Many customers still associate Irma with a particular shopping experience, including smaller neighbourhood stores, personal service and a strong focus on organic and sustainable goods. For some of these customers, buying Irma-labelled products in other Coop chains is both a way to support the brand and a reminder of what has been lost.
At the same time, critics quoted in Danish media worry that spreading Irma products across discount and mid-price formats could dilute the brand’s identity. They argue that Irma’s distinctiveness came from its combination of carefully curated assortments, store atmosphere and design culture, not only from the logo on the packaging.
Coop has responded by emphasising that Irma will continue to stand for quality and innovation, even when the products sit on shelves next to standard private labels and national brands. The company also uses dedicated Irma campaigns and product awards to keep the brand visible and to signal that it remains a curated, premium-oriented range within the larger group.
What the Irma case reveals about Denmark’s grocery market
The record Irma products revenue in 2025 sheds light on broader dynamics in the Danish grocery market. On the one hand, the closure of Irma stores shows how difficult it has become to maintain smaller, upmarket chains in a landscape dominated by discount retailers and large supermarket concepts. On the other hand, the strong sales of Irma-branded goods suggest that many consumers are still willing to pay more for products that signal quality, design and a local story.
For Coop, Irma has turned into a symbol of how a legacy brand can be repurposed within a modern retail strategy. The chain no longer exists, but its values live on in packaging and product lines that help the group defend market share and improve margins. The brand’s performance also matters for the wider cooperative model, in which profits are meant to flow back to more than two million Coop members through bonuses, offers and investments.
