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ÁTVR in 100 years

03.02.2022

Vínbúðin is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary. Many things have changed since the company was first founded on February 3, 1922, and today the company is an award-winning service company that puts the needs of the customers and employees first.

The law on the exclusive sale of alcohol by the state was passed in 1921 and subsequently the ÁVR (The State Alcohol Company) was established. The tobacco shop was established in 1932, but these two companies were merged in 1961 under the name ÁTVR (State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland).

At first, the product selection was very limited and served over the counter, but in 1987 the first "self-service shop" opened where people could choose from the shelves. The beer then arrived in stores in 1989 when the beer ban was lifted in Iceland.

The Story of ÁTVR

was published few years ago, and it is accessible here on the web in three parts (in Icelandic only). The story is quite comprehensive and spans the first 90 years of the company.