Industry · municipality
Gourmet Food Store Industry in Skien: Current Status and Outlook
An Analysis of Companies, Statistics, and Opportunities in the Gourmet Food Store Sector in Skien Municipality, Norway
Executive Summary
Overview of Gourmet Food Stores in Skien
Skien has a small but dynamic gourmet food store sector. In 2025, there is one active company in this industry: Skien Kjøttforretning As, operating from Torggata 6. The industry has shown significant variations in sales and number of employees over time, with a sharp increase in 2019 (1.3 million NOK) followed by a complete decline in 2020. This demonstrates both potential and uncertainty in the sector. There is a unique opportunity for innovation and marketing in a municipality with strong cultural and tourist appeal.
Economic Overview
Sales and Employee Development:
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 | 7 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 155.8K | 0 |
| 2019 | 1.3M | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 | 2 |
The most notable development is a sales increase of 708.1% from 2018 to 2019, followed by a complete decline to zero in 2020. The number of employees has been highly unstable, with a decline of 100% from 2016 to 2017 and an increase of 100% from 2024 to 2025. This shows an industry in motion, but with significant challenges regarding operational stability.
Companies in the Industry
Active Companies:
| Company | Legal Form | Incorporation Date | Employees | Bankrupt? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skien Kjøttforretning As | AS | 2021-11-24 | 2 | No |
There is only one company registered in the industry in Skien. This company is an AS with 2 employees and is not bankrupt. There is a clear need for increased diversity and scale in the industry to ensure operational stability and marketing. There are no other companies in the industry, which shows a unique opportunity for newcomers with innovative approaches.
Business Geography
Distribution of Activity in the Municipality:
| Location | Number of Companies | Number of Employees | Sales (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skien | 1 | 2 | 0 |
All activities in the industry are concentrated in Skien city center. There is no data on activity in other districts or areas of the municipality. This shows a potential opportunity to expand to other areas in the municipality, especially considering tourist-friendly areas and cultural historical sites.
Business Dynamics
Bankruptcies and Operational Stability:
- There are no bankruptcies registered in the industry in Skien.
- The only company, Skien Kjøttforretning As, is not bankrupt, but has shown unstable sales figures and a very small workforce.
Operational Challenges:
- Sales figures have shown significant variations, with a complete decline in 2020.
- The number of employees has been highly unstable, with a decline from 7 to 0 within one year.
- This shows an industry that is highly sensitive to external factors, but also with potential for growth with the right strategy.
Outlook
Outlook for Entrepreneurs
Opportunities and Challenges:
- Market Potential: Skien has a unique combination of cultural and tourist appeal, which can be used to market gourmet food stores.
- Operational Stability: There is a need for increased diversity and scale in the industry to ensure operational stability.
- Innovation: There is an opportunity to introduce new products and services that can stand out in a competitive market.
Recommendation: Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Skien with an innovative approach, especially in connection with tourist-friendly areas and cultural historical sites. SmartGrunder can help find optimal locations and strategies to ensure operational stability and growth.
Outlook for the Services Sector
Contrast to the Services Sector:
- The services sector in Skien has 117 companies, compared to 1 company in the gourmet food store sector.
- Sales: The services sector had 24.5 billion NOK in 2025, compared to 0 NOK in the gourmet food store sector.
- Employees: The services sector had 1,078 employees in 2026, compared to 2 employees in the gourmet food store sector.
Peer Companies in the Services Sector:
| Company | Industry | Sales (NOK) | EBITDA (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saga Mat As | Supermarket Chain | 192.3M | 9.2M | 84 |
| Risingveien Mat As | Supermarket Chain | 125.9M | 7.2M | 34 |
| Ng Kiwi Vestfold Telemark As | Supermarket Chain | 142.4M | 7.2M | 25 |
The services sector has a much larger scale and stable growth, with an average annual growth of 3.6% in sales and +6.0% in the number of employees. This shows that the services sector is more stable and developed than the gourmet food store sector, but there is potential for specialized companies in the gourmet food store sector to stand out with innovative approaches.
Other companies in tjenester (not in gourmet food store)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saga Mat As | supermarket chain | Telemarksvegen 14, 3734 Skien | NOK 192.3M | 84 | NOK 9.2M |
| Risingveien Mat As | supermarket chain | Risingvegen 5, 3716 Skien | NOK 125.9M | 34 | NOK 7.2M |
| Ng Kiwi Vestfold Telemark As Avd 343 Tollnes | supermarket chain | Stadionvegen 1, 3740 Skien | NOK 142.4M | 25 | NOK 7.2M |
| Lie Center As | supermarket chain | Liegata 10-12, 3717 Skien | NOK 118.2M | 61 | NOK 6.8M |
| Mathuset Falkum As | supermarket | Hjalmar Johansens gate 10-12, 3722 Skien | NOK 105.1M | 17 | NOK 6.5M |
| Mathuset Frogner As | supermarket | Håvundvegen 112, 3715 Skien | NOK 109.9M | 41 | NOK 6.1M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 5087 Obs Bygg Skien | supermarket chain | Bjørntvedtvegen 147, 3735 Skien | NOK 129.1M | 38 | NOK 6.0M |
| Ng Kiwi Vestfold Telemark As Avd 567 Kjørbekkdalen | supermarket chain | Kjørbekkdalen 4, 3735 Skien | NOK 103.9M | 18 | NOK 5.3M |
| Mathuset Myren As | supermarket chain | Sliperivegen 11, 3718 Skien | NOK 114.6M | 47 | NOK 4.9M |
| Ng Kiwi Vestfold Telemark As Avd 568 Gimsøy | supermarket chain | Lensmannsvegen 3, 3730 Skien | NOK 92.4M | 18 | NOK 4.7M |
| Gs Dagligvaredrift As | supermarket chain | Klyvevegen 25, 3740 Skien | NOK 104.6M | 49 | NOK 4.6M |
| Mathuset Kjørbekk As | supermarket | Kjørbekkvegen 46, 3735 Skien | NOK 70.8M | 32 | NOK 4.6M |
| Ng Kiwi Vestfold Telemark As Avd 552 Gulset | supermarket chain | Gulsetsenteret|Nyhusvegen 14, 3726 Skien | NOK 88.5M | 18 | NOK 4.5M |
| Skien Handelspark As | other non-specialised store | Kjørbekkdalen 4, 3735 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 4.5M |
| Ng Kiwi Vestfold Telemark As Avd 358 Bølevegen | supermarket chain | Bølevegen 12, 3724 Skien | NOK 84.7M | 17 | NOK 4.3M |
| Meny Klosterfoss | supermarket chain | Helgas gate 10, 3730 Skien | NOK 127.3M | 42 | NOK 3.7M |
| Normal Norge As Avd No1087 Skien Herkules Senter | discount store | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 28.8M | 21 | NOK 3.2M |
| Kr Fjeld As | supermarket | Luksefjellvegen 53, 3716 Skien | NOK 51.5M | 20 | NOK 2.7M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 1191 Extra Gulset | supermarket chain | Nyhusvn 2, 3726 Skien | NOK 57.7M | 21 | NOK 2.7M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 2679 Extra Gråtenmoen | supermarket chain | Infanterivegen 16, 3734 Skien | NOK 54.3M | 18 | NOK 2.5M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 1201 Extra Klyve | supermarket chain | Kongerødvegen 3, 3737 Skien | NOK 51.0M | 16 | NOK 2.4M |
| Holdbart As Avd Skien | supermarket chain | Kjørbekkdalen 19, 3735 Skien | NOK 37.0M | 16 | NOK 2.1M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 1213 Coop Prix Åfoss | supermarket chain | Elsetvegen 120, 3731 Skien | NOK 37.4M | 15 | NOK 1.7M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 2735 Extra Plesner | supermarket chain | Schweigaards gate 15, 3717 Skien | NOK 37.4M | 11 | NOK 1.7M |
| My Revolution As | food/beverages/tobacco stores | Cappelens gate 15, 3717 Skien | NOK 20.1M | 3 | NOK 1.7M |
| Normal Norge As Avd No1132 Skien Arkaden | discount store | Bruene 1, 3724 Skien | NOK 14.4M | 12 | NOK 1.6M |
| Fredrik & Louisa As Avd Herkules | discount store | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 34.3M | 12 | NOK 1.5M |
| Coop Sørøst Sa Avd 1203 Coop Prix Skotfoss | supermarket chain | Skotfossvegen 242, 3720 Skien | NOK 30.6M | 9 | NOK 1.4M |
| Herkules Helsekost As | food/beverages/tobacco stores | Herkules kjøpesenter|Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 9.4M | 8 | NOK 1.1M |
| City Asiamat As | supermarket | Liegata 2B, 3717 Skien | NOK 4.1M | 4 | NOK 557.0K |
| Kjørbekk Kiosk As | supermarket | Kjørbekkvegen 30, 3735 Skien | NOK 6.0M | 10 | NOK 469.0K |
| Sunkost Butikk As Sunkost Lietorvet | health foods store | Liegata 10, 3717 Skien | NOK 8.7M | 6 | NOK 411.2K |
| Lars Norrman As | supermarket | Bruene 1, 3724 Skien | NOK 52.8M | 9 | NOK 327.0K |
| Ramsis As | other non-specialised store | Buerløkka 12, 3711 Skien | NOK 1.4M | 3 | NOK 158.0K |
| Aas & Goberg Ans | kiosk | Øvregate 71, 3715 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Anastasia As | supermarket chain | REMA 1000 HERKULES|Melumvegen 6, 3730 Skien | NOK 0 | 10 | NOK 0 |
| Anettes Matvogn Anette Stulen Ellingsen | supermarket chain | Høyåstoppen 1, 3727 Skien | NOK 0 | 3 | NOK 0 |
| Anettes Mk Johannessen | discount store | Ravnåsen 3B, 3743 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Aprikos As | supermarket | Hulkavegen 74, 3738 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Baderama Aukstikalnyte | other non-specialised store | Rødmyrjordet 5, 3735 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
Conclusion
The gourmet food store sector in Skien has potential, but also challenges. It is a small but dynamic sector with a single company today. There is a need for increased diversity and scale to ensure operational stability and marketing. The services sector in Skien has a much larger scale and stable growth, which shows that there is potential for specialized companies in the gourmet food store sector to stand out with innovative approaches. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find optimal locations and strategies to ensure operational stability and growth in Skien.