Industry · municipality
Ethnic Stores in Ålesund: A Detailed Analysis of Companies, Statistics, and Future Perspectives
From Economic Trends to Competitiveness and Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in Ålesund
Executive Summary
This article provides a detailed overview of the local industry for ethnic stores in Ålesund. We analyze company structure, economic trends, geographic distribution, dynamics, and future perspectives. The data shows that the industry has both strengths and challenges, with a mix of stable and highly variable companies. The article is intended for entrepreneurs, local decision-makers, and others interested in this sector.
Economic Overview
Economic Trends
Sales and Employees:
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Year-over-Year Sales Change | Number of Employees | Year-over-Year Employee Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3.1M | - | 5 | - |
| 2020 | 48.8M | +162.5% | 32 | +100.0% |
| 2021 | 50.8M | +4.0% | 41 | +28.1% |
| 2025 | 11.1M | -73.0% | 30 | +11.1% |
The industry experienced a significant increase in sales from 2016 to 2020, but a dramatic decline in 2025. The number of employees fluctuated, peaking in 2021, followed by a decline in 2023 and an increase in 2025.



Companies in the Industry
Key Companies in the Industry
The following companies are registered in Ålesund within the ethnic stores sector:
- Storfjord Iskrem Consept As (Tollbugata 3) – 19 employees, AS company structure, founded 2023. Sales and operating profit are 0.
- Tonjes Mathjørne As (Skaregata 1) – 9 employees, AS company structure, founded 2019. Sales: 25.5M NOK, EBITDA: 2.0M NOK.
- Ålesund Asia Shop As (Kirkegata 2) – 7 employees, AS company structure, founded 2012. Sales: 11.1M NOK, EBITDA: 212.0K NOK.
- Armis As (Tverrvegen 34) – 4 employees, AS company structure, founded 2015. Sales and operating profit are 0.
All companies are registered as AS, and there are no bankrupt companies in the industry.
Geographic Distribution
All companies in the industry are registered in Ålesund. There are 4 companies and 39 employees in the municipality. There is no sub-division of companies into sub-areas within the municipality.

Operational Dynamics
Operational Dynamics and Bankruptcy Statistics
None of the companies in the industry are registered as bankrupt, but there are variations in operating profit and sales:
- Armis As has 0 sales and 0 operating profit.
- Storfjord Iskrem Consept As has 0 sales and 0 operating profit.
- Ålesund Asia Shop As has an EBITDA margin of 1%, which is lower than the industry average.
- Tonjes Mathjørne As has an EBITDA margin of 7%, which is higher than the average.
This shows that the industry has both stable and unstable companies, with significant variation in economic results.
Future Perspectives
Future Perspectives for Entrepreneurs
The ethnic stores industry in Ålesund has both opportunities and challenges. There is an increase in the number of employees from 2023 to 2025, which may indicate growing interest in the sector. However, there is a sharp decline in sales in 2025, which may be a challenge for new companies.
Opportunities:
- Increasing population and economic growth in Ålesund may lead to increased demand for ethnic products.
- Larger companies such as Tonjes Mathjørne As have demonstrated good economic performance, which can serve as an example for new entrepreneurs.
Challenges:
- Armis As and Storfjord Iskrem Consept As have 0 sales and operating profit, which may indicate high competitiveness in the industry.
- Ålesund Asia Shop As has a low EBITDA margin, which may be a challenge for new companies.
Comparison with the Broader Services Sector
The services sector in Ålesund has 144 companies, which is much higher than the 4 companies in ethnic stores. Sales in the services sector have a greater variation than in ethnic stores, but ethnic stores have a higher EBITDA margin (5% vs. 2.2M NOK in the services sector).
Peer companies in the services sector:
| Name | Address | Sales (NOK) | Number of Employees | EBITDA (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coop Nordvest Sa (2275) Obs Stormoa | Moavegen 1, 6018 Ålesund | 567.2M | 105 | 16.4M |
| Blindheim Mat As | Vegsund, 6020 Ålesund | 86.0M | 31 | 8.2M |
| Meny Lerstad | Lerstadvegen 291, 6014 Ålesund | 98.1M | 43 | 7.2M |
Ethnic stores have a lower sales volume than these companies, but a higher EBITDA margin. This may indicate that ethnic stores have a higher margin than the larger companies in the services sector.



Other companies in tjenester (not in ethnic grocery store)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coop Nordvest Sa (2275) Obs Stormoa | supermarket chain | Moavegen 1, 6018 Ålesund | NOK 567.2M | 105 | NOK 16.4M |
| Blindheim Mat As | supermarket chain | Vegsund, 6020 Ålesund | NOK 86.0M | 31 | NOK 8.2M |
| Meny Lerstad | supermarket chain | Lerstadvegen 291, 6014 Ålesund | NOK 98.1M | 43 | NOK 7.2M |
| Rundskue Invest As | supermarket | Skarbøvikgata 25, 6006 Ålesund | NOK 86.4M | 17 | NOK 5.8M |
| Moa Mat As | supermarket chain | Langelandsvegen 25, 6010 Ålesund | NOK 173.2M | 85 | NOK 5.8M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 909 Flisnes | supermarket chain | Flisnesvegen 1, 6013 Ålesund | NOK 108.2M | 31 | NOK 5.2M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 901 Nørve | supermarket chain | Nørvegata 23, 6008 Ålesund | NOK 104.9M | 25 | NOK 5.0M |
| Grimmermat As | supermarket | Rasmus Rønnebergs gate 21, 6002 Ålesund | NOK 86.6M | 29 | NOK 4.9M |
| Åse Dagligvarer As | supermarket | Øvre Geilegrend 1, 6017 Ålesund | NOK 66.9M | 28 | NOK 4.5M |
| Normal Norge As Avd No1034 Ålesund Amfi Moa | discount store | Langelandsvegen 25, 6010 Ålesund | NOK 38.4M | 26 | NOK 4.3M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 908 Klokkersund | supermarket chain | Nedre Klokkersundvegen 2, 6015 Ålesund | NOK 87.2M | 21 | NOK 4.2M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 902 Spjelkavik | supermarket chain | Spjelkavikvegen 42, 6010 Ålesund | NOK 83.9M | 30 | NOK 4.0M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 924 Vallekrysset | supermarket chain | Glomsetvegen 8, 6260 Skodje | NOK 83.9M | 22 | NOK 4.0M |
| Myrstad Mathus As Avd Dagligvarer | supermarket chain | Spjelkavikvegen 61, 6010 Ålesund | NOK 83.8M | 47 | NOK 3.8M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 920 Breivika | supermarket chain | Lerstadvegen 545, 6018 Ålesund | NOK 77.5M | 25 | NOK 3.7M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 916 Kremmergaarden | supermarket chain | Rasmus Rønnebergs gate 6, 6002 Ålesund | NOK 67.8M | 13 | NOK 3.2M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd Kiwi 910 Kverve | supermarket chain | Kverve Senter|Ellingsøyvegen 49, 6057 | NOK 58.1M | 15 | NOK 2.8M |
| Kastanjeknuten As | supermarket | Nedre Strandgate 9, 6004 Ålesund | NOK 46.7M | 13 | NOK 2.7M |
| Normal Norge As Avd No1112 Ålesund Storsenter | discount store | Grimmergata 1, 6002 Ålesund | NOK 24.0M | 19 | NOK 2.7M |
| Ng Kiwi Møre As Avd 919 Nedre Strandgate | supermarket chain | Nedre Strandgate 51, 6005 Ålesund | NOK 56.5M | 15 | NOK 2.7M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa (1505) Extra Vatneeidet | supermarket chain | Slyngstadvegen 4, 6264 Tennfjord | NOK 92.5M | 20 | NOK 2.7M |
| Asko Ålesund As | supermarket | Sundgate 6-8-10, 6003 Ålesund | NOK 78.2M | 21 | NOK 2.6M |
| Clas Ohlson As Avd Ålesund | other non-specialised store | Moavegen 1, 6018 Ålesund | NOK 51.6M | 23 | NOK 2.6M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa (2626) Extra Digernes | supermarket chain | Digernes næringsområde 3, 6260 Skodje | NOK 74.0M | 17 | NOK 2.1M |
| Vata As | supermarket chain | Skodjevegen 424, 6260 | NOK 53.5M | 14 | NOK 2.0M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa (1492) Extra Skjodje | supermarket chain | Ådalsbakken 1, 6260 Skodje | NOK 55.5M | 13 | NOK 1.6M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa (1495) Extra Brattvåg | supermarket chain | Brattvåggata 20, 6270 | NOK 55.5M | 13 | NOK 1.6M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa Avd 2754 Coop Prix Haramsøy | supermarket chain | Ullavegen 114, 6290 Haramsøy | NOK 49.3M | 8 | NOK 1.4M |
| Neptun Fisk As | fish store | Engsetdalsvegen 802, 6260 Skodje | NOK 11.4M | 5 | NOK 1.3M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa (1491) Coop Prix Sjøholt | supermarket chain | Sjøholtvegen 9, 6240 Ørskog | NOK 43.2M | 9 | NOK 1.2M |
| Coop Nordvest Sa (2750) Coop Prix Longva | supermarket chain | Kvernhusvegen 2, 6293 Longva | NOK 43.2M | 10 | NOK 1.2M |
| Coop Nordvest As (1482) Coop Prix Harøy | supermarket chain | Austrevegen 2, 6296 Harøy | NOK 37.0M | 9 | NOK 1.1M |
| Coop Nordvest As (1518) Coop Prix Søvik | supermarket chain | Hamnsundvegen 226, 6280 Søvik | NOK 37.0M | 11 | NOK 1.1M |
| Vatne Lavpris As | supermarket chain | Vatnevegen 15, 6264 Tennfjord | NOK 38.2M | 15 | NOK 1.0M |
| Søvik Mathus As | supermarket chain | Gamlem, 6280 Søvik | NOK 25.5M | 11 | NOK 994.0K |
| Maniva Handel As | supermarket chain | Årøyvegen 2, 6240 Ørskog | NOK 50.5M | 21 | NOK 978.0K |
| Fredrik & Louisa As Avd Moa | discount store | Langelandsvegen 25, 6010 Ålesund | NOK 21.1M | 8 | NOK 908.7K |
| Life Amfi Moa Syd | health foods store | Stormoa Syd|Langelandsvegen 25, 6010 Ålesund | NOK 8.4M | 9 | NOK 673.7K |
| Lepsøy Handel As | supermarket | Lepsøyvegen 57, 6292 Kjerstad | NOK 10.4M | 4 | NOK 645.0K |
| Ellingsøy Lavpris As | supermarket | Røysetmarka 10, 6057 Ellingsøy | NOK 26.3M | 10 | NOK 615.0K |
Conclusion
The ethnic stores industry in Ålesund has both opportunities and challenges. There is an increase in the number of employees and stable companies such as Tonjes Mathjørne As, but there are also companies with 0 sales and operating profit. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses and analyze the market in Ålesund for this industry.