Health Food Stores in Nordre Follo: Industry Analysis and Development Trends

Key Points in This Analysis

• Two companies in the health food store industry are registered in the municipality of Nordre Follo.
• Sales development has been volatile, with a peak of 22.3 million NOK in 2017 and a decline to 0 NOK in 2019.
• Employees have varied between 1 and 15 people over time, with an increase to 10 employees in 2026.
• Geographic focus is on Kolbotn and Ski, with one company in each district.
• Stability in the industry is evident from the absence of bankruptcy registrations, but variations in operating results.
• Development trends indicate potential opportunities for establishing new health food stores in the municipality.

Economic Overview

Sales development for health food stores in Nordre Follo has been uneven:

• 2016–2017: +9.9% (20.3 M → 22.3 M NOK)
• 2017–2018: -82.0% (down to 4.0 M NOK)
• 2019: 0 NOK (total decline from 2018)
• 2020–2021: +42.5% (back to 5.9 M NOK)
• 2022–2023: +10.4% (5.3 M NOK)

Employees have shown significant variations:

• 2016: 7 employees
• 2017: 16 employees (+128.6%)
• 2018: 9 employees (-43.8%)
• 2019: 1 employee (-88.9%)
• 2020: 5 employees (+400.0%)
• 2026: 10 employees (+25.0% from 2025)

This shows an industry with both strong growth and challenges, especially during periods of low sales.

Companies in the Industry

Two companies are registered in the health food store industry in Nordre Follo:

1. Life Kolbotn (Kolbotnveien 33, Kolbotn)

• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 1996-02-01
• Employees: 9
• Not bankrupt

1. Life Ski (Jernbanesvingen 6, Ski)

• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 2026-02-01
• Employees: 5
• Not bankrupt

Both companies operate as AS entities, and there are no registered bankruptcies in the industry in the municipality.

Geographic Distribution

Kolbotn and Ski are the two districts with activity in the health food store industry:

• Kolbotn:
• 1 company
• 9 employees
• Sales: 0 NOK (not reported)

• Ski:
• 1 company
• 5 employees
• Sales: 0 NOK (not reported)

Geographic focus is on these two districts, with the same number of companies in each, but different numbers of employees.

Bankruptcy statistics show that there are no registered bankruptcies in the health food store industry in Nordre Follo. This indicates a stable industry, even though sales and number of employees have been uneven over time.

Operating results are not reported for the two companies, which may indicate a lack of public financial reporting or small businesses. This could be a challenge for future entrepreneurs who wish to analyze operating data to assess risk and potential.

Development Trends for Health Food Stores

Sales development shows that the industry has experienced both strong growth and declines. The most significant growth was recorded in 2021 (+42.5% from 2020), while 2019 marked a total decline to 0 NOK. This may indicate vulnerability to market changes or bankruptcies in the surrounding area.

Employees have shown a more stable development in recent years, with an increase from 8 to 10 employees from 2025 to 2026. This may be a sign of gradual stabilization of the industry.

For entrepreneurs, this may indicate that it is possible to establish themselves in the municipality, but with a need for flexibility and adaptability to market fluctuations.

Services sector in Nordre Follo has much larger activity than the health food store industry:

• Number of companies: 121 (compared to 2 in health food stores)
• Sales: 2.054 billion NOK in 2024 (compared to 5.3 million NOK for health food stores)
• Employees: 843 in 2024 (compared to 10 in health food stores)

Peer companies in the services sector include:

• Nordbyveien Mat As (Ski): 48 employees, 96.9 M NOK in sales, 10.1 M NOK EBITDA
• Coop Mega Kolbotn (Kolbotn): 53 employees, 187.4 M NOK in sales, 7.4 M NOK EBITDA
• Meny Ski Storsenter (Ski): 77 employees, 171.9 M NOK in sales, 5.8 M NOK EBITDA

This shows that the services sector has both larger activity and higher operating results, which may provide a broader basis for entrepreneurs seeking to establish themselves in the municipality.

Conclusion

The health food store industry in Nordre Follo has shown both strengths and challenges. With two companies and stable bankruptcy statistics, the municipality can be an attractive place for entrepreneurs. However, it is important to be aware of the uneven sales and operating results.

SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses in Nordre Follo for health food stores, with a focus on natural development trends and potential market opportunities.