Coop Norden was created in 2002 by the merger of its three subsidiaries, Coop Danmark (Denmark), Coop Norge (Norway), and Coop Sverige (Sweden). The cooperative group oversees the operation of about 2,000 hypermarkets, supermarkets, and discount stores throughout the Nordic region. To focus on its core activities and combat falling sales in Sweden, the company has sold about a third of its property portfolio, including about 130 retail properties in Sweden, to the real estate division of Dutch insurer ING Groep. Coop Norden is owned by Sweden's Kooperativa F�rbundet (42%), FDB Denmark (38%), and Coop NKL (20%). The coop, which operates 16 different retail chains, is converting to a pure purchasing company.