Industry · municipality
Cosmetics Retail in Bærum: Industry Analysis and Development Trends
A detailed overview of the industry, companies, and economic data for entrepreneurs and local decision-makers
Economic Overview
Sales Development (2016–2025):
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 51.2M | - |
| 2017 | 65.4M | +27.8% |
| 2018 | 83.4M | +27.4% |
| 2019 | 85.6M | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 96.7M | +13.0% |
| 2021 | 101.3M | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 80.2M | -20.8% |
| 2023 | 73.7M | -8.1% |
| 2024 | 91.0M | +23.5% |
| 2025 | 96.2M | +5.7% |
Employee Development (2016–2026):
| Year | Employees | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 104 | - |
| 2017 | 120 | +15.4% |
| 2018 | 127 | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 117 | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 114 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 110 | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 99 | -10.0% |
| 2023 | 85 | -14.1% |
| 2024 | 74 | -12.9% |
| 2025 | 72 | -2.7% |
| 2026 | 81 | +12.5% |
Sales experienced strong growth until 2021, followed by a decline of 20.8% in 2022 and 8.1% in 2023. Since then, there has been an increase of 23.5% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2025. Employee numbers have shown a decline since 2017, with an increase of 12.5% in 2026. This indicates uncertainty in the industry, but also potential opportunities for future growth.
Companies in the Industry
In Bærum, there are 16 companies registered in the cosmetics retail industry, with a total of 72 employees (2025). The key companies include:
- Rituals Cosmetics Norway As (Sandvika, 18 employees)
- Estee Lauder Cosmetics (Sandvika, 7 employees)
- Bitten As (Høvik, 6 employees)
- Forbeauty As (Kolsås, 9 employees)
- Vårt Parfymeri As (Østerås, 5 employees)
Organizational Forms:
- AS (11 companies): 81 employees, operating income of 71.8M NOK, EBITDA margin of 10%.
- NUF (1 company): 7 employees, operating income of 23.3M NOK, EBITDA margin of 15%.
There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry, but some companies have negative EBITDA values, such as Body Green As in Snarøya (EBITDA: -1.2M NOK). This indicates that some companies are facing economic challenges.
Business Geography
Cosmetics retail activity in Bærum is distributed across several districts, with the following development:
| District | Number of companies | Employees | Sales (NOK) | EBITDA (NOK) | EBITDA margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandvika | 5 | 49 | 39.7M | 2.3M | 12% |
| Fornebu | 2 | 15 | 8.8M | 1.1M | 12% |
| Kolsås | 1 | 9 | 6.2M | 0.58M | 9% |
| Høvik | 1 | 6 | 22.9M | 3.6M | 15% |
| Østerås | 1 | 5 | 5.3M | 0.14M | 2% |
| Snarøya | 1 | 3 | 7.7M | -1.2M | -15% |
| Rykkinn | 1 | 1 | 0.44M | 0.038M | 8% |
Sandvika is the most active district with 5 companies and 49 employees, while Høvik has the highest sales (22.9M NOK) and highest EBITDA margin (15%). Snarøya has the lowest EBITDA (-1.2M NOK) and a negative margin (-15%).
Business Dynamics
The industry shows a mix of stability and uncertainty:
- Bankruptcy Statistics: There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry, but Body Green As in Snarøya has a negative EBITDA (-1.2M NOK) and a negative EBITDA margin (-15%). This may indicate economic challenges for companies with low income and high operating costs.
- Growth and decline: Høvik has strong sales growth of 17% (2025), while Østerås has lower growth of 9%. Sandvika has stable development with 8% growth in both sales and EBITDA.
- Employees: There has been a decline in the number of employees since 2017, but an increase of 12.5% in 2026. This may indicate an improvement in the industry, but also an increase in automation or efficiency.
Outlook
Outlook for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs in the cosmetics retail industry in Bærum, there are both opportunities and challenges:
- Opportunities:
- Høvik shows strong sales growth of 17% (2025) and a high EBITDA margin of 15%. This can be an attractive market for new companies.
- Sandvika has stable development with 5 companies and 49 employees, indicating an established market.
- Rituals Cosmetics Norway As and Estee Lauder Cosmetics are examples of successful companies with high income and EBITDA.
- Challenges:
- Snarøya has a negative EBITDA (-1.2M NOK) and a negative margin (-15%), which can be a warning for new companies.
- There has been a decline in the number of employees since 2017, which may indicate increased competition or efficiency.
SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find optimal addresses in Bærum for the cosmetics retail industry, based on data about market potential, operating costs, and competition solutions.
Conclusion
The cosmetics retail industry in Bærum shows a mix of stability and uncertainty. There are 16 registered companies with a total of 72 employees (2025), and sales showed strong growth until 2021, followed by a decline of 20.8% in 2022 and 8.1% in 2023. Since then, there has been an increase of 23.5% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2025. Høvik and Sandvika are the most active districts, with high sales and EBITDA margins. There are no registered bankruptcies, but some companies have negative EBITDA values, such as Body Green As in Snarøya. For entrepreneurs, there are opportunities in districts such as Høvik and Sandvika, but also challenges in the form of competition solutions and operating costs. SmartGrunder can help find optimal addresses in Bærum for the cosmetics retail industry, based on data about market potential, operating costs, and competition solutions.
Executive Summary
The cosmetics retail industry in Bærum has shown strong growth until 2021, followed by a decline of 20.8% in 2022 and 8.1% in 2023. Since then, there has been an increase of 23.5% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2025. Høvik and Sandvika are the most active districts, with high sales and EBITDA margins. There are no registered bankruptcies, but some companies have negative EBITDA values, such as Body Green As in Snarøya. For entrepreneurs, there are opportunities in districts such as Høvik and Sandvika, but also challenges in the form of competition solutions and operating costs.