The Clothing Store Industry in Lillestrøm: Current Status and Future Prospects

Overview of the Clothing Store Industry in Lillestrøm

The clothing store industry in Lillestrøm consists of 137 registered businesses, but only 16 of these are detailed in the data. The industry has been marked by fluctuations in sales and number of employees over time, with a sharp decline in 2026. One bankruptcy has been registered in the industry (Sadol As), indicating a certain level of risk. Nevertheless, there are several major players such as H&M, Lindex, and other well-known names that contribute to the industry's stability.

Sales and Employees:

• Sales: The industry reached a peak in 2024 with sales of NOK 833.8 million, but fell sharply to NOK 6.1 million in 2026 (a decline of 99.0%). There is a clear decline from 2023 to 2025, with an increase of +5.8% in 2024.
• Employees: The number of employees has been on a downward trend since 2016, with an increase of +12.7% in 2022. In 2026, there were 588 employees, a decline of -5.5% from 2025.

Causes of fluctuations: The large declines in 2025 and 2026 may be due to external factors such as economic crises or changes in consumer behavior. However, there is no detailed data on the causes of these fluctuations.

Key Businesses:

• H&M Hennes & Mauritz As (Strømmen): 47 employees, sales of NOK 81.1 million.
• Voice Norge As (Lillestrøm): 27 employees, sales of NOK 39.6 million.
• New Yorker 80001 (Strømmen): 25 employees, sales of NOK 39.0 million.
• Lindex As (Strømmen): 17 employees, sales of NOK 19.0 million.

Organizational Forms: Most businesses are registered as AS (64 companies), indicating a dominance of limited liability company forms.

Bankruptcy: One business (Sadol As) is registered as bankrupt, but there is no detailed data on the cause of the bankruptcy.

Geographical Distribution of Businesses

Most Activity in Strømmen:

• Strømmen has 37 businesses and 405 employees, with sales of NOK 569.8 million.
• Lillestrøm has 18 businesses and 159 employees, with sales of NOK 310.3 million.
• Skedsmokorset has 5 businesses and 35 employees, with sales of NOK 27.2 million.

Table: Geographical Distribution

Bankruptcy and Stability:

• One business (Sadol As) is registered as bankrupt, but there is no detailed data on the cause. However, there are no indications that the bankruptcy has negatively affected the rest of the industry.
• Most businesses have positive EBITDA and high sales margins, indicating that most businesses are economically stable.

Growth and Decline:

• The industry experienced a sales growth of +17.3% from 2021 to 2022, but a drastic decline of -27.6% from 2024 to 2025. This may be due to external factors such as economic crises or changes in consumer behavior.

Future Perspectives for Entrepreneurs

Outlook for New Businesses:

• The industry has shown fluctuations, with a sharp decline in 2026. This may be a challenge for new businesses, but there are also opportunities in areas with high consumer activity such as Strømmen.
• It is important to be aware of bankruptcy risk, but there are no indications that the bankruptcy has negatively affected the rest of the industry.

Recommendation: Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Strømmen, where there is the most activity, and be prepared to compete with established players such as H&M and Lindex.

Outlook for Creative, Art, and Entertainment Activities

Comparison with the Clothing Store Industry:

• Creative, art, and entertainment activities have 194 businesses in Lillestrøm, showing that this is a larger sector than the clothing store industry (137 businesses).
• Sales: The parent sector reached a peak in 2024 with NOK 1.035 billion, while the clothing store industry had NOK 833.8 million. This shows that the parent sector has higher sales.
• Employees: The parent sector had 757 employees in 2024, while the clothing store industry had 622 employees.

Peer Businesses:

• Examples of businesses in the parent sector that are not clothing stores include Grensen Sko Strømmen (shoe store) and Romerike Bunadtilvirker As (national clothing store). These businesses have higher EBITDA and sales than many clothing stores.

The clothing store industry in Lillestrøm has proven to be an important part of the local economy, with a significant presence in Strømmen. Although the industry has been marked by fluctuations, there are several established businesses that contribute to its stability. Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Strømmen, where there is the most activity, and be prepared to compete with established players. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses and develop strategies to succeed in this industry.