Hunter Shop in Harstad

The hunting shop industry in Harstad is a small but dynamic sector with two registered companies. The only actively operating company, Gapahuken Fiske Og Fritid As, has shown strong financial results from 2020–2021, but there has been a significant decline in sales and employees after 2022. Pettersens Våpenforretning has been inactive since 2005. The industry has a unique position in the municipality, focusing on hunting and leisure equipment, but must address challenges related to market changes and competition from larger business suppliers.

Sales and employee development:

• Sales: The industry reached a peak of NOK 26.0 million in 2021, but fell to NOK 4.0 million in 2025. The most significant decline occurred between 2023 and 2024 (77.7 %).
• Employees: The number of employees fluctuated, reaching a maximum of 18 in 2022, but fell to 4 in 2025. The largest decline was between 2024 and 2025 (50.0 %).

Key financial figures:

• Gapahuken Fiske Og Fritid As had an EBITDA of NOK 380,000 and an operating profit of NOK 373,000 in 2021, with an operating margin of 9 %.
• The industry had an average gross profit margin of 43 %, but a very low EBITDA margin (9 %) in 2021.

Registered companies:

1. Gapahuken Fiske Og Fritid As (Nesseveien 4A, Harstad)

• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 2018-03-18
• Number of employees: 6
• Sales: NOK 4.0 million (2025)
• EBITDA: NOK 380,000 (2021)

1. Pettersens Våpenforretning (Kilkamveien 25, Harstad)

• Organizational form: ENK
• Founded: 2005-05-03
• Number of employees: 0
• Sales: NOK 0 (2025)

Organizational form:

• AS is the only organizational form in the industry, with 1 company and 6 employees.

Activity distributed across locations in the municipality:

• Harstad: 1 company, 6 employees, sales of NOK 4.0 million (2025)

Mapping:

• All companies in the industry are located in Harstad, focusing on central addresses such as Nesseveien and Kilkamveien. There is no activity in other city districts or small towns in the municipality.

Bankruptcy safety:

• No companies in the industry are registered as bankrupt in the period 2016–2025.

Development trends:

• Sales and employees have been highly unstable, with significant fluctuations. The most dramatic sales decline occurred between 2023 and 2024 (77.7 %), while the number of employees fell by 50 % between 2024 and 2025.
• Gapahuken Fiske Og Fritid As has been the only active player, while Pettersens Våpenforretning has been inactive since 2005.

Outlook for entrepreneurs

Opportunities and challenges:

• Opportunities: The industry has a unique position in Harstad, focusing on hunting and leisure equipment. There is potential to develop specialized offers in a market segment that is relatively little contested in the municipality.
• Challenges: The strong decline in sales and employees after 2022 indicates a weakness in the industry. Entrepreneurs must be aware of market changes and competition from larger business suppliers.

Recommendation: Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on differentiation, quality, and local connections to ensure stability in an industry with historical uncertainty.

Contrast to the hunting shop industry:

• Business supplier sector in Harstad has 15 companies, compared to 2 in the hunting shop industry. It has a more stable development, with an increase in employees from 108 in 2016 to 116 in 2026.
• Sales: The business supplier sector had NOK 145.8 million in sales in 2016, but fell to NOK 46.9 million in 2025 – a decline of 68.1 %.

Peer companies:

• Examples of companies in the business supplier sector:
• Hokland Marina As Avd Harstad (boat equipment store): NOK 32.9 million in sales, 22 employees
• Leon Sport As (sports equipment store): NOK 13.0 million in sales, 11 employees
• Xxl Sport & Villmark As Avd Harstad (sports equipment store): NOK 71.5 million in sales, 31 employees

Conclusion: The business supplier sector has a broader variation and larger volume, but the hunting shop industry has a unique position in Harstad.

The hunting shop industry in Harstad is a small, but potentially interesting sector with a unique focus on hunting and leisure equipment. Although the industry has been marked by unstable sales figures and a decline in the number of employees, there are opportunities for entrepreneurs who wish to establish themselves in a market segment with little competition. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses and develop strategies that adapt to local conditions and market needs.