Ethnic Food Stores in Drammen: A Detailed Analysis of Companies, Statistics, and Outlooks

This article provides a detailed analysis of the ethnic food store industry in Drammen, focusing on companies, economic trends, and future perspectives. Drammen has three registered companies within the industry, with a total of 17 employees in 2026. Economic data shows a highly uncertain development, with both increasing and decreasing figures over the years. The industry holds a unique position in Drammen, with a concentration of activity in the city center and a combination of small and medium-sized companies.

Economic data for the industry shows a complex development. Sales volume has been very low over the years, with a single registration of NOK 975,600 in 2020. Employees have shown more variation, with an increase from 4 in 2021 to 17 in 2023, before being reduced to 14 in 2024. There are no official sales data for 2021–2025, indicating potential data gaps or uncertainty in reporting. EBITDA margins are negative for all companies, with values between -4% and 0%.

The following companies are registered within the ethnic food store industry in Drammen:

The organizational form for all companies is AS, indicating a standardized structure within the industry. No companies are registered as sole proprietorships or other organizational forms.

All three companies in the industry are registered in Drammen city center, with specific addresses in the city's commercial areas:

• Drammen (city center): 3 companies, 17 employees, total sales NOK 3.4M
• Hauges gate 10: Ims Drammen As (13 employees)
• Ingvald Ludvigsens gate 21A: 102 Asia Mat As (8 employees)
• Øvre Storgate 1A: Hoang Asia Mat As Avd Drammen (0 employees)

This shows a concentration of activity in Drammen's historic city center, with access to high traffic and customer bases. No companies are registered in peripheral or industrial areas.

The industry has been relatively stable regarding bankruptcy, with no registered bankruptcies among the three companies. However, financial data for individual companies show significant challenges:

• Ims Drammen As: EBITDA -162,000 NOK, total debt NOK 8.4M
• 102 Asia Mat As: EBITDA -14,000 NOK, but positive equity of NOK 16,000
• Hoang Asia Mat As Avd Drammen: No operational data, but registered as a new company

This shows a mix of companies with both high debt levels and some with positive equity. There are no official bankruptcy data for the period 2016–2026.

For entrepreneurs in Drammen, there are both opportunities and challenges in ethnic food stores. The three existing companies show that it is possible to establish oneself in the city center, but with high financial requirements. The increase in the number of employees from 4 in 2021 to 17 in 2023 shows growth potential, even though there has been a decline to 14 in 2024. There are particular opportunities to leverage Drammen's demographic diversity and growing interest in international food. However, it is important to be aware of the negative EBITDA margins and high debt levels of existing companies.

Compared to the broader services sector in Drammen (which includes 211 companies), ethnic food stores are a smaller, but specialized sub-sector. The services sector had total sales of NOK 4.3M and 1,839 employees in 2025, with stable growth of +0.5% from 2024. The most competitive companies in the services sector include supermarkets such as Ng Kiwi Buskerud As and the Meny sector, with EBITDA up to NOK 11M and sales over NOK 186M. Ethnic food stores therefore have a smaller market share, but can differentiate themselves through specialized products and customer customization.

The ethnic food store industry in Drammen shows growth potential, especially in a city center with high population density and international focus. However, it is important to be aware of the financial challenges, such as negative EBITDA margins and high debt levels of existing companies. Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Drammen's city center, where there is a concentration of activity, and focus on differentiation through specialized products. SmartGrunder can help find optimal addresses and evaluate business models that fit Drammen's market conditions.