Gourmet Food Store Industry in Sarpsborg: Current Status and Outlook

The gourmet food store industry in Sarpsborg is a small but active sector with 5 registered companies. Only one company, Helseshoppen.no, has active operations, while the remaining companies are newly established with no income. The industry shows an uneven history with both rising and falling sales, as well as variations in the number of employees. Prospects for new entrants must be considered in light of the small-company-dominated structure and the weak economic dynamics in the sector.

Sales in the gourmet food store industry in Sarpsborg have been uneven over the years. There was an increase of 77.9% from 2016 to 2017, followed by a sharp decline of 50.9% in 2018. There has been a gradual increase again from 2019 to 2022, before a decline of 19.7% in 2023. The number of employees has been even more uneven, with periods of 1 employee and periods with 0 employees. The only company with active operations, Helseshoppen.no, had an EBITDA margin of 7% in 2023.

The following companies are registered in the gourmet food store industry in Sarpsborg:

Most companies are organized as AS, but there are also ENK-organized companies. Helseshoppen.no is the only company with active operations and income.

The industry is most active in the Sarpsborg city center, with Helseshoppen.no located at Lilletuneveien 2. There are also companies registered in Grålum and Varteig, but these have no activity. The distribution of companies in the municipality shows that the industry is concentrated in central areas, even though there are registered companies in several districts.

The industry shows stability in terms of bankruptcy, with no companies in bankruptcy. However, there are several newly established companies without activity, which may indicate some dynamics in company formation. The only company with active operations has negative equity of -463,000 NOK, which may be a challenge for future development.

For entrepreneurs in the gourmet food store industry in Sarpsborg, it is important to consider the small-company-dominated structure and the uneven history of sales and employees. The only company with active operations has an EBITDA margin of 7%, which may indicate potential areas for improvement. There are also opportunities to leverage the broader service sector, which has shown a more stable development over the years.

The broader service sector in Sarpsborg has shown a more stable development compared to the gourmet food store industry. In 2020, the service sector had a sales increase of 33.1%, which is significantly higher than the maximum increase of 77.9% in the gourmet food store industry. However, the service sector has also shown a decline of 27.1% in 2025. Peer companies in the service sector include large chain retailers such as Coop and Ng Kiwi, which have higher sales and more employees compared to gourmet food store companies.

The gourmet food store industry in Sarpsborg has potential, but it is important to be aware of the small-company-dominated structure and the uneven history of sales and employees. Entrepreneurs should consider leveraging the broader service sector as a strategic framework, as well as focusing on differentiation and economic stability. SmartGrunder can help find optimal addresses and strategies for future development in the municipality.