Lidl has presented its new store identity in Finland – switching colors from blue to grey, introducing wider corridors and re-located departments but also improved facilities for the staff. The new look from spring 2016 onwards is based on deep consumer surveys. ”People prefer to visit the grocery store without a feeling of congestion,” says Country Manager Lauri Sipponen . […]
Archive | Store concept
Another Nest puts all Skåne stores out of business
The multibrand fashion chain Another Nest has put its five Skåne stores out of business – less than a year after the premiere of the chain. “The reason is poor profitability and declining sales at the locations, said bankruptcy trustee Ola Sellert on Trägårdh law firm. (more…)

Elkjøp aquires Danish electronics chain Fona
As expected – Elgiganten takes over Fona’s brand and operations in ten stores in Denmark with plans to turn it into a multichannel city concept under Elgiganten’s label. ”We have good experience from Norway and Sweden, with shops in the city center, and therefore we are happy with this agreement, ” said Jaan Ivar Semlitsch, […]
Synsam to open 100 stores with new concept
Optician chain Synsam is investing in a new business in optics and sports glasses. Synsam Sports will offer personalized glasses, specialized for 18 different sports. The new chain will be established in about 100 Nordic locations. The first store opens at Sankt Eriksplan in Stockholm on 18 April. (more…)

Media Markt: ”We are ready to expand in Sweden again”
After a series of cancelled store openings in 2012, Media Markt now says it is now prepared to open several new stores. The chain says that the number of profitable stores now have doubled – and points to a 67 million improvement despite 230 million SEK in losses last year. “We can confirm that the business is developing according […]
Varner Group set to open new chain for women
Varner Group’s new fashion chain for women, Days like this, open the doors to eleven stores next week. Cubus and Bik Bok is already specifically targeted at women, but now the Norwegian fashion group further such a chain in his portfolio with 11 new stores + online sales already this month. ”Days Like This is a […]
Coop converts SuperBrugsen to new smaller city concept
SuperBrugsen has just begun the refurbishment and conversion of three stores in Copenhagen into a new concept, the new supermarket-convenience-brand Brugsen will open at the end of the month. (more…)

Tokmanni prepares for IPO
The Finnish retail chain Tokmanni is now considering listing on the Helsinki Stock Exchange’s main market to raise its profile. (more…)
Stockholm social supermarket is looking for new premises
Social supermarket Matmissionen is now looking for new premises after the fire in the premises, in Rågsved in southern Stockholm. (more…)
Angry carpenter the new face of XL Bygg
XL Bygg engages the Swedish Angry carpenter. TV profile Anders Öfvergård will be the building chain’s face in various advertising activities. (more…)

Per Thelin leaves Stockmann
With a new Chairman, the turnaround specialist Per Thelin leaves his position as Stockmann’s CEO only 17 months after he took the job. ”The agreed strategic actions – in particular the divestments of Russian department stores and Seppälä – have been carried out as planned. The company structure consisting of Stockmann Retail, Real Estate and Lindex has been […]

Bilka’s future opens in Tilst
Bilka has set the concept for the future – starting in Tilst. The store re-opening on Saturday is the new and modernized version of the hypermarket, aimed to compete with discount chains and to offer a sharper customer experience. (more…)
ABC-chain gets local customization concept
The ABC chain is renewed, after about 20 service station stores begin to run their operations under the name Lähi ABC! with services targeted primarily to local customers, who are offered easy shopping eating, refueling and continuing connection with the purchase. The rebranded stations are located mainly in urban areas. (more…)
Two online stores merge for physical concept store
Sister brands Addnature and Bikester deepen their cooperation and launch a joint concept store in Stockholm on 1 April. For the two e-commerce stores, it adds a new contact with customers and further integration and development of their online stores together with the physical stores. (more…)
Viking Line launches design store on the baltic sea
Viking Line has opened the Baltic Sea’s first specialty store in design, decor and beauty. ”We hope to bring the concept to our other six ships,” says Eva Rehnström, Purchasing Manager Sales and Beauty at Viking Line. (more…)
Netto to open more 24/7-stores
Netto Denmark increases the number of stores that never close. Now two stores open in North Zealand. (more…)
Alko to start online sales of all alcoholic beverages
The Finnish state-owned alcohol monopoly-chain Alko will start e-commerce this year. The aim is to offer the full range. “Our customers can use our services precisely in those channels where they want. By bringing our full range for purchase, we can better serve our customers, “says Alko’s business manager Paula Kujansivu. (more…)
Søstrene Grene enters UK – targets 150 stores
The Danish interior chain Søstrene Grene now opens its first store in England. And this summer, Germany waits. “We believe we’ve come up with something that the UK retail does not yet have, and therefore we also believe that our concept has a justification in England in the long run. 150 stores are not unrealistic in the […]
Stockholm social supermarket destroyed in fire
Sweden’s first social supermarket, located in Rågsved south of Stockholm, caught fire Wednesday morning and could not be saved. (more…)
Swedish discount store set for 8th season on tv
The Swedish discount phenomenon Gekås in Ullared, who can attract over a hundred buses with visitors from far away in a day, get an eighth season of its television series. “I think it is great that the series is so popular and it thus becomes another season. We have many new things going on in Ullared […]
Lindex launches shop for 140,000 Instagram-followers
Lindex launches the opportunity to shop via Instagram. (more…)
Kesko to reform all K-citymarkets
K-citymarket’s Finnish comprehensive reform has started, all the stores are to be renewed after the local customers wishes by the end of 2018. “The K-citymarket chain reform are utilized by a new way of customer feedback and store-specific customer information. The aim is to make each one of 81 store look unique to its customer base , two K-citymarkets won’t […]
Skånska Byggvaror and Plantagen opens more shop in shops
Skånska Byggvaror is moving into more shop-in-shops at Plantagen’s garden centers. And they will now be completed with a virtual offering. (more…)
Kiwi makes Kiwi+ official
Danish KIWI is now rolling out the extra large discount stores. The offensive kicks off with the launch of the name KIWI + and with the opening of the fifth bigger store, this time in Frederikshavn. (more…)
Nordic nominees for World Retail Awards
Bolia.com and Kikki.K are among the nominees for the World retail awards in April. (more…)
Lidl to trial extended opening hours for Easter
With new legislations, Lidl experiments with the opening hours in Finland. For Easter, the chain will have more extended opening hours than ever. (more…)
Tools to be completely cash free
Ten stores do fine without any cash in the stores. Now all 43 Norwegian Tools-stores will be completely cash free. ”We believe the time is right and the market is ready for cashless stores,” says CEO Jens Kristian Henriksen. (more…)

Ica to open health care clinics at hypermarkets
Ica goes for more qualified health care in connection with its hypermarkets This is done by ICA’s pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat opening Minute Clinics. Three trials are now permanent and three new will be established. “The big advantage is that we simplify for customers. You can check your birthmark at the same time you buy milk, “says ICA’s CEO Per […]
Paradiset’s second store is a pop-up
The new grocery chain Paradiset’s second store in central Stockholm will be temporary. Landlord Pembroke Real Estate will have a selection of tenants filling the premises at the intersection Mäster Samuelsgatan and Regeringsgatan waiting for a decision on how to develop the property. (more…)
Bilka Tilst to re-open with American burger concept
The American burger chain concept Carl’s Jr is expanding inside Dansk Supermarked. Soon, the residents of Aarhus will have a bite of it when a restaurant opens in Bilka Tilst for summer. (more…)

Anttila returns to old premises
Anttila is opening new stores again – and returns to the old address in Turku. ”We are very happy to meet our customers in Turku again,” says Marita Lemine, Anntila Oy. (more…)

Paradiset ready to open next store
The organic grocery store of the year, Paradiset in Stockholm, will now open more stores. The new chain has signed contracts for premises in central Stockholm, writes Fri Köpenskap. (more…)

Private label increase kills Rema 1000’s growth
Rema 1000’s focus on their own brands interferes with the targeted speed of growth. Sales and market shares have been standing still over the past year, according to recent figures from Nielsen. (more…)
Skousen’s franchisees makes a million profit a year
Attractive margins make many Nordic actors look at the appliances category. Recent year has seen several start ups and expansion. The Danish chain Skousen went from a problem child to a win-win situation. (more…)
Statoil to open their last petrol station
Statoil Fuel and retail will change all petrol station signs in Scandinavian to Circle K in May. But parallel to the huge brand change, new Statoil stations are inaugurated. This week is the official opening of the latest – and last – newly Statoil petrol station in Norway. (more…)

Swedish buildingware online specialist happy with Norway
The online specialist Skånska Byggvaror is growing with physical stores. 2015 was the most succesful year in the company’s history. “What is particular pleasing is that our Norwegian initiative is delivering such strong results, giving us the stamina to both continue our efforts in Norway and expand in Denmark through the acquisition of Pavillon,” says […]

Power targets Aalborg this year
Expert Denmark’s department store concept Power has set out the establishment plan all the way to City Syd in Aalborg in 2016. CEO Jesper Boysen says City Syd is the only possible location. (more…)
Siba opens a new store – tears down another
This fall the Swedish electronics chain Siba opens in Östersund. The new store will be Siba northernmost store ever in Sweden. At the same time the chain’s store – and store building – in Uddevalla will be replaced by Netonnet. (more…)
Danish electronics chain in deep crisis – will Elkjøp take over?
56 stores Danish electronics chain Fona, founded in 1926, seeks reconstruction. ”The background is the recent years’ extremely intense competition where we unfortunately have been squeezed on our earnings to such an extent that we need a time-out,” says Fona in a letter to its customers. Now, the chain states it seeks a new partner […]

Club Xprs first two stores ready to open
The new clothing chain Club Xprs opens its two first stores in March. “We are very pleased with both Barkarby and Ingelsta Handelscentrum as our first establishment,” said Victor Appelqvist founder and CEO of Club Xprs. (more…)

Rema targets 130 new stores in Denmark
The Norwegian discount chain Rema 1000 opened Danish store number 272 in Aalborg last week. Now it changes its upper limit from 300 stores to over 400 – and gears up the establishment pace backed up by an upcoming change of the Planning Act ”The goal is 15 to 25 stores a year. We have previously […]
Lager 157 to expand into malls
Lager 157 will for the first time move into a shopping center with a smaller store size than the chain’s usual concept, the premiere takes place in Nacka Forum. ”This will be our fourth store in Stockholm and will differ from the other as the position and size of retail space creates new opportunities for us,” says Jonas Ivarsson, […]

Åhléns to get the same sound concept in all 70 stores
Åhlens takes a grip on the sound concept. Now, it will sound the same in all 70 Åhlens department stores in the future. (more…)

JC-breakout chain has switched the signs
Now the new fashion chain Jeansbolaget has removed the JC-signs from the stores and opened 21 stores under their own logo. Shop owners says they left a sinking ship. “JC was on the brink of bankruptcy, we broke loose to avoid it,” says Lars Bergman. (more…)

They have Finland’s best fruit and vegetable stores
The winners of Garden paper Puutarha-Sanomat’s competition for the best fruit and vegetable stores were announced on Wednesday at the Helsinki HeVi Gala. The K-citymarket Rosendal and Turku S-market Wiklund Herkku was chosen by the expert panel as winner this year. (more…)

Skånska Byggvaror to start shop-in-shop in five Plantagen-stores
Skånska Byggvaror expands its omnichannel offer by opening five new Swedish stores – as large shop-in-shop solutions at Plantagen garden centers. “The shop-in-shop solution at Plantagen is a dream scenario for us,” says Beiron Palm, Manager of Business Development and Production at Skånska Byggvaror. (more…)

No more ICA-pharmacies inside City Gross
As expected, City Gross did not appreciate ICA’s pharmacies in their stores. Now, Apoteket AB takes over eight Apotek Hjärtat shops next to Bergendahls City Gross stores. At the same time Apotek Hjärtatacquires four pharmacies from Apoteket. (more…)

Coop to invest 300 million to strengthen Fakta-chain this year
Coop Denmark gears up in investment for the Group’s discount chain Fakta. This year, the Group plans for 150 store modernizations, conversions and closures for a total cost of 300 million DKK. (more…)

Stockmann invites social media to future workshops
Stockmann is planning for the extension of the Tapiola-store. At the same time, the department store chain invites social media to workshops about the future of Stockmann’s store experience. (more…)

Critical store service as online business is rising for Christmas
One third (33%) of all Swedes made at least half of the Christmas presents shopping online, according to a recent survey. “While the survey shows how critical it is to create an overall concept that the consumer is satisfied with – from order to delivery. The fact that 82% of Swedes would change store if they experience problems […]