Clothing Retail in Horten: Current Status and Future Outlook

Clothing retail in Horten is a medium-sized industry with 30 registered companies in the municipality, according to 2025 data. There are 74 employees in the industry in 2026, indicating a weak but stable trend following the year 2024. The most represented company forms are AS (12 companies) and ENK (2 companies). The industry has been marked by a decline in sales and number of employees over the past few years, with a sales decline of 9.3% from 2024 to 2025. Nevertheless, several companies have shown positive development, especially in 2023 and 2024. There is also a small degree of bankruptcy in the industry, with only two companies having gone bankrupt, indicating a relatively stable industry.

Clothing retail in Horten has been marked by a decline in sales over the past few years. From 2016 to 2025, sales have fallen from NOK 115.7 million to NOK 75.7 million, with an average annual decline of approximately 5.5%. The number of employees has also declined, from 140 in 2016 to 74 in 2026, with an average annual decline of approximately 4.5%. However, there have been some positive developments in 2023 and 2024, where sales increased by 5.1% and 4.7%, respectively. EBITDA margins are around 11% for the most represented company forms, indicating a relatively good operational efficiency. There is also a high average sales per employee, at approximately NOK 1.5 million per employee, showing an efficient use of labor.

There are 30 companies registered in the clothing retail industry in Horten, according to 2025 data. The most represented company forms are AS (12 companies) and ENK (2 companies). The most well-known companies in the industry include Kappahl As, Dressmann As, Match Sjøsiden Avd 325, Cubus Sjøsiden Kjøpesenter Avd 917, Torggården Trend As, Vic Horten Avd 039, Zandra Mote As, Zavanna Sjøsiden Senter Avd 594, Cleopatra Mote As, Bibo As, Jack & Jones/vero Moda Horten 2368, Fryd Undertøy, Osvold, Jentene På Kaffe As, Leo Design, Ellen Eie, Akko Design Sissel Lenes and Atelier Khamis As. Most of these companies have a positive operational efficiency, with high sales and EBITDA margins. However, some companies have shown negative developments, such as Zandra Mote As and Zavanna Sjøsiden Senter Avd 594, which have negative EBITDA margins.

Clothing retail in Horten is most concentrated in the district of Horten, with 12 companies and 60 employees. Åsgårdstrand has 2 companies and 7 employees. Sales in Horten amount to NOK 73.8 million, while sales in Åsgårdstrand amount to NOK 9.8 million. The operational efficiency in Horten is better than in Åsgårdstrand, with a higher EBITDA margin (11% vs. -3%). There is also a higher average sales per employee in Horten (NOK 1.5 million vs. NOK 1.6 million). However, there is a lower average sales per company in Horten (NOK 6.15 million vs. NOK 4.9 million).

Clothing retail in Horten has been marked by a weak but stable development over the past few years. Only two companies have gone bankrupt, indicating a relatively stable industry. Most companies have a positive operational efficiency, with high sales and EBITDA margins. However, some companies have shown negative developments, such as Zandra Mote As and Zavanna Sjøsiden Senter Avd 594, which have negative EBITDA margins. There are also some companies that have shown very low sales, such as Cleopatra Mote As and Fryd Undertøy, Osvold, which have no sales. However, no companies have gone bankrupt, indicating a relatively stable industry.

For entrepreneurs considering starting a clothing store in Horten, it is important to be aware of the recent years of decline in sales and number of employees. Nevertheless, several companies have shown positive development, especially in 2023 and 2024, indicating that there are opportunities to start a new store. There are also opportunities to leverage existing companies that have shown positive development, such as Kappahl As, Dressmann As, Cubus Sjøsiden Kjøpesenter Avd 917, Torggården Trend As, Vic Horten Avd 039 and Bibo As. There are also opportunities to leverage existing companies that have shown very low sales, such as Cleopatra Mote As and Fryd Undertøy, Osvold, which could be an opportunity to start a new store. There are also opportunities to leverage existing companies that have shown negative developments, such as Zandra Mote As and Zavanna Sjøsiden Senter Avd 594, which could be an opportunity to start a new store.

Creative, art, and entertainment activities are a larger industry than clothing retail in Horten, with 54 companies and 100 employees in 2026. Sales in the industry have been marked by a decline over the past few years, with a decline of 9.6% from 2024 to 2025. The number of employees has also declined, from 219 in 2016 to 100 in 2026, with an average annual decline of approximately 4.5%. However, some companies have shown positive development, especially in 2023 and 2024, indicating that there are opportunities to start a new store. The most well-known companies in the industry include Invicto As, Elite As Avd Skoringen Horten, Syperle & Kurs As, Bjørns Berg, By Neumann Strøm, Dyrans Gjenbruks Skatter, Eurosko Horten, Garnhexene As, Kaktus Quilts Elizabeth Ann Gyland, Karljohansvern Auksjoner Wetten Åsend, Kik Henriksen Import Kirsten Henriksen, Loppelykke Gjenbruk Kjennerud, Mathiesen Kjell Auksjonsforr Inngår I Dødsbo, Retro Restoft, Skrotnissen Em John Erik Magnussen, Softlune Rahimi, Steen, Størupgård Antik Rita Sode, Tandes Gjenbruksbutikk, Twins Knitting Næss, Urdalen & Co, Åsgårdstrand Auksjonsforretning As and Kodial Babycare As. Most of these companies have a positive operational efficiency, with high sales and EBITDA margins. However, some companies have shown negative developments, such as Kodial Babycare As, which has a negative EBITDA margin.

Clothing retail in Horten is a medium-sized industry with 30 companies and 74 employees in 2026. There is a weak but stable development over the past few years, with a decline in sales and number of employees. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to start a new store, especially in 2023 and 2024, where there has been positive development. There are also opportunities to leverage existing companies that have shown positive development, such as Kappahl As, Dressmann As, Cubus Sjøsiden Kjøpesenter Avd 917, Torggården Trend As, Vic Horten Avd 039 and Bibo As. There are also opportunities to leverage existing companies that have shown very low sales, such as Cleopatra Mote As and Fryd Undertøy, Osvold, which could be an opportunity to start a new store. There are also opportunities to leverage existing companies that have shown negative developments, such as Zandra Mote As and Zavanna Sjøsiden Senter Avd 594, which could be an opportunity to start a new store. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find the right addresses in Horten for clothing retail, where it is natural to start a new store.