 | |
| Product type | Coffee |
|---|---|
| Owner | JDE Peet's Kraft Heinz (North America) |
| Produced by | JDE Peet's Kraft Heinz (North America) |
| Country | Sweden |
| Introduced | 1853; 172 years ago (1853) |
| Markets | Sweden, Northern Europe, North America |
| Previous owners | Vict. Th. Engwall & Co (1853-1971) |
| Website | https://www.gevalia.se/ |
Gevalia (US:/dʒəˈvɑːliə/jə-VAH-lee-ə,UK:/ɡəˈ-/gə-,Swedish:[jɛˈvɑ̌ːlɪa]) is acoffee brand originating fromGävle,Sweden. Founded in 1853, it has grown to become the largestcoffee roastery inScandinavia. The brand name "Gevalia" is derived from theLatin name for Gävle.
A mainstream supermarketbrand in Northern Europe, Gevalia is marketed in theUnited States as a premium brand, where it is styled 'gëvalia'. Today, Gevalia is owned by different entities in different markets:Kraft Heinz in North America andJDE Peet's in the rest of the world.[1]
Located inGävle, Sweden (Gevalia inLatin), Gevalia was introduced in 1853 in Sweden by the trading company Victor Theodor Engwall & Co KB. The first CEO wasVictor Theodor Engwall.Ernst Victor Engwall succeeded his father as CEO of the company from 1882 to 1915.[2] In 1915,Knut Emil Engwall was appointed CEO.Sven Engwall served as the fourth CEO of the family company.[2]Jacob Engwall was the last CEO of theEngwall family owned company from 1963 to 1972.[2]
Gevalia was once also a brand for spices. In 1970, Gevalia purchased Kockens, a spices company, inYstad, and the Kockens brand began to be used for spices produced at the Gävle factory.[3]
After 120 years as a family company, it was sold in 1971 toMondelez International predecessor company,General Foods.[2] Around the same time, General Foods also acquired another Swedish coffee brand, Coffea, which produced Premiär coffee. As part of the acquisition, production from the Premiär roasting facility inGröndal was relocated to Gävle.[4]
Gevalia owes a large part of its current success in Northern Europe to a well-known and long-running marketing campaign with the theme of "unexpected visitors", starting in the early 1990s. The campaign featured in addition to print ads and movie commercials also installations in public places in Sweden featuring submarines and airplanes.[5]
In 1973, Gevalia was introduced to the Danish market by General Foods.[6] For a time, Gevalia operated a roasting facility inGlostrup outside Copenhagen, which served the Danish market. However, the facility closed in 2004, and production was consolidated in Gävle. Gevalia remains a popular coffee brand in Denmark.[7][8][9]
Gevalia previously held aroyal warrant of appointment for coffee roasters from the King of Sweden. AfterKraft Foods Inc. was split into two companies in 2012, rights to Gevalia brands were divided and currently owned byKraft Heinz in North America andJDE Peet's (formed from merger ofDouwe Egberts and Mondelez International coffee and tea division) in rest of the world.
Gevalia began North American sales, via mail-order delivery service, in 1983. InNorth America, the company sells coffee directly to consumers viahome delivery and through big box stores such asWal-Mart. In Gevalia produces more than 40 different varieties of coffee and tea.
Gevalia is perhaps most well known for its introductory offer of a free coffeemaker and other coffee-related incentives. These offers were seen in magazine advertisements, direct mailings, and television commercials, but were later overtaken by online advertising. Some of these Gevalia.com advertisements were the basis of the 2005 Hypertouch based lawsuit. In September 2013, Gevalia Introduced specialty drink K-Cups using real milk.[10]
In 2011, Kraft announced the retail launch of Gevalia in the United States; the in-store collection started with a complete line of ground, whole bean, decaf and flavored options.[11] Gevalia also maintains an Office Coffee Service, offering mail-order coffee by the case, as well as coffee singles. Gevalia is also sold for theK-Cup system in the United States.
As of February 2007, Gevalia offered more than 40 different coffees and teas, according to Gevalia.com. The majority of these coffees are Arabica blends, using beans from Kenya, Guatemala, Colombia, and Costa Rica. Gevalia Kaffe is composed of up to six different varieties of these Arabica beans, as well as Brazilian beans, and those are having attention.[13] Gevalia discontinued sales of tea in 2015.
Gevalia coffee in the North American market is roasted, ground (except for its whole bean variety), and packaged by Kraft in North America instead of being imported from Sweden.[14]
In 2005, Kraft wassued byHypertouch, anISP, forspamming its Gevaliacoffee brand. Kraft was accused of sending multiple waves of junk advertisement to the ISP's customers, the action brought under theCAN-SPAM Act of 2003 act.[15] The parties resolved their dispute by mutual agreement and the litigation has been dismissed.[citation needed]
On 9 February 2012, the T discs used in Gevalia,Maxwell House andNabob brand espresso were recalled from the market following the potential of second degree burn hazard.[16] Gevalia has faced criticism for working conditions in Brazil, highlighted in reports bySwedwatch in 2005 and 2010.[17]
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