Health Food Stores in Skien: Current Situation and Future Outlook

This article provides an overview of the health food store industry in Skien, focusing on companies, economic trends, and future perspectives. The industry is relatively small, with one registered company in the municipality, but shows clear variations in turnover and employees over time. An important observation is that the industry has recovered from a deep decline in 2020 and 2022, with strong growth from 2024 to 2025. This may indicate a degree of resilience in the sector, despite significant year-to-year fluctuations.

Economic data shows that the health food store industry in Skien has had a complex development over the past few years. Turnover experienced a sharp decline in 2020 (down to 495,600 NOK), but recovered to 5.8 million NOK in 2025. The number of employees has been highly variable, with a decline from 6 to 0 employees between 2021 and 2023, before returning to 5 employees in 2026. The EBITDA margin is at 4%, while the gross profit margin is extremely high at 1,724%, suggesting a special cost structure in the industry.

There is one registered company in the health food store industry in Skien: Sunkost Butikk As, with an address at Liegtav 10. The company is organized as an AS and has been in operation since 2020. It has 6 employees and shows no bankruptcy status. Economic data shows that the company had a turnover of 8.7 million NOK in 2024, with an operating profit of 321,400 NOK and an EBITDA of 411,200 NOK. The company has a high gross profit of 150.2 million NOK, suggesting a special product structure or pricing strategy.

All businesses in the health food store industry in Skien are located in Skien. There is one registered company in the municipality, and data shows that the company has a turnover of 8.7 million NOK, with 6 employees and an operating profit of 321,400 NOK. There is no spread of business to other parts of the municipality, which may indicate a concentration of the market in the city center or limited establishment opportunities in other areas.

The industry has been marked by significant variations in the number of employees and turnover over time. There are no registered bankruptcies in the health food store industry in Skien, indicating relative stability in the sector. Nevertheless, the number of employees has been highly variable, with a complete decline to 0 employees in 2022 before the recovery in 2024. This may indicate a degree of uncertainty in the sector, even though there have been no bankruptcies.

For entrepreneurs considering establishing themselves in the health food store industry in Skien, data shows an industry with potential opportunities, but also significant challenges. The strong growth from 2024 to 2025 (36.4%) indicates a degree of market opening, but the previous declines (especially in 2020 and 2022) show that the sector can be sensitive to external factors. It is important to consider how a new player can differentiate themselves in a market with one existing company, and how to ensure stability in an industry with historical variations in turnover and employees.

When comparing the health food store industry with the broader services group in Skien, data shows that the services sector has been more stable over time. The services sector had 117 companies in the municipality in 2025, with a turnover of 2.45 billion NOK and 1,078 employees. This is a clear contrast to the health food store industry, which has one company and a turnover of 5.8 million NOK in the same year. Among the main competitors in the services sector, we find companies such as Saga Mat As (192.3 million NOK turnover, 84 employees) and Risingveien Mat As (125.9 million NOK turnover, 34 employees). These companies operate in adjacent sectors (supermarket chains) and may represent both competitors and potential partners for a new health food store.

The health food store industry in Skien shows a complex, but not without opportunities, development. With one existing company that has recovered from a deep decline, and a growth of 36.4% from 2024 to 2025, it may be possible to establish oneself in a market niche. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware of the industry's historical variations in turnover and employees. Entrepreneurs should consider how they can differentiate themselves in a market with one existing company, and how they can ensure stability in an industry that has been marked by significant fluctuations. SmartGrunder can help find suitable locations and assess market challenges in Skien.