Health Food Stores in Kristiansand: Industry Analysis and Development Trends

Health Food Stores in Kristiansand: Industry Analysis and Development Trends

Kristiansand has a stable and growing market for health food stores, with two registered companies in 2025. The industry sector shows positive development in both sales and employees, with an average EBITDA margin of 6% and a high gross profit of 1456%. The two main companies, Life Sørlandssenteret and Sunkost Butikk As, have shown stable growth over time, with particularly high sales growth at Sunkost Butikk As (30% in 2024).

Sales and employee development (2016–2025):

Key figures for 2025:

• Total sales: NOK 16.7M
• Total employees: 16
• EBITDA: NOK 1.4M
• Gross profit: NOK 336.9M
• EBITDA margin: 6%

Registered companies in Kristiansand (2025):

1. Life Sørlandssenteret

• Address: Barstølveien 35, Kristiansand
• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 1995-02-19
• Employees: 8
• Sales: NOK 9.6M
• EBITDA: NOK 774.8K
• EBITDA margin: 8%

1. Sunkost Butikk As Avd Sørlandssenteret

• Address: Barstølveien 31, Kristiansand
• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 2018-03-01
• Employees: 8
• Sales: NOK 13.5M
• EBITDA: NOK 638.0K
• EBITDA margin: 4%

Organizational form: Both companies are AS entities, which is the most common form in the industry.

Location of companies in Kristiansand:

• Kristiansand (total of 2 companies, 16 employees):
• Sales: NOK 23.1M
• EBITDA: NOK 1.4M
• Gross profit: NOK 336.9M
• EBITDA margin: 6%

Focus areas:

• Barstølveien 31 and 35 in Kristiansand are the main locations for the industry, with two companies in the same neighborhood. This indicates a concentration of business activity in central areas.

Bankruptcies and stability:

• No bankruptcy registrations for health food stores in Kristiansand in 2025.
• Stable employee numbers over time, with growth from 2 employees in 2016 to 16 employees in 2025.
• Sales growth: The two companies have shown significant growth, especially Sunkost Butikk As with 30% growth in 2024.
• EBITDA stability: EBITDA has varied between 4% and 8%, with an average margin of 6%.

Development for Entrepreneurs

Opportunities for entrepreneurs in Kristiansand:

• Stable market: The industry has shown positive development in sales and employees over the last five years, with an average annual sales growth of 29.4%.
• High gross profit: The industry sector has an extremely high gross profit (1456%), indicating strong margin potential.
• Bankruptcy-free: No bankruptcy registrations in the industry in Kristiansand, indicating a stable and risk-free environment for new companies.
• High ownership concentration: The two companies dominate the market, which may provide opportunities for specialization or differentiation.

Recommendation: Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Kristiansand, especially in central areas such as Barstølveien, where there is already established business activity.

Contrast between health food stores and the services sector:

• Services sector in Kristiansand has 276 companies, compared to 2 companies in health food stores.
• Sales in the services sector: NOK 54.9M in 2025, compared to NOK 16.7M in health food stores.
• Employees in the services sector: 2360 employees in 2026, compared to 16 employees in health food stores.
• EBITDA margin: Health food stores have a higher EBITDA margin (6%) compared to the services sector (average 4.5%).

Peer companies in the services sector:

• Supermarkets and supermarket chains dominate the services sector, with companies such as Meny Vågsbygd (NOK 131M sales, NOK 2.8M EBITDA) and Ng Kiwi Agder As (NOK 186.9M sales, NOK 9.4M EBITDA).
• Health food stores have lower sales, but higher EBITDA margins compared to these companies.

Health food stores in Kristiansand show positive development with stable growth in sales and employees, as well as high gross profit. The industry has no bankruptcy registrations and is concentrated in central areas, making it attractive for entrepreneurs. Compared to the services sector, health food stores have a higher EBITDA margin, although sales and number of employees are lower. This indicates that the industry has potential for further growth and specialization in Kristiansand.