Coop Norge is a Norwegian consumer co-operative with approximately 2 million members. Its 1234 hypermarkets, supermarkets and local stores cover all daily conveniences including hardware, building materials and electronics.

In close collaboration with Erik Johan Worsøe Eriksen at the eminent Norwegian agency ANTI, the Pyte Foundry designed an exclusive suite of typefaces for Coop Norge.

The concept of «delingsøkonomi» (sharing economy) acted as a guiding principle in the development of this typeface family. Echoing the non-hierarchical nature of a commercial cooperative, it evokes an accessible, everyday quality and combines a rational with a social appeal.

Formally, the elliptic shapes of the existing Coop logotype acted as a point of departure. In a process of conceptual extrapolation, the family successively grew to seven weights ranging from Thin to Black with respective italics. Two sets of OpenType variants — Simplified Forms and Typewriter Alternates —expand the differentiating possibility within complex typographic hierarchies even further. In addition a condensed display style is provided for headlines, posters and discount announcements.

The Coop typefaces merge Neo-Grotesk idioms of European origin with influences of the Gothic genre established in the US in the beginning of the 20th century. The result is a straight forward and unobtrusive letter structure with a subtle stroke contrast, open apertures and soft transitions.

Due to the extensive use in various screen environments, the typefaces have been carefully optimized and TrueType-hinted by long-time collaborator Edgar Walthert. Furthermore, the use of Variable font technology enables animated typography and subtle weight adjustments in both screen and print media.