The Cosmetics Retail Industry in Hamar: Current Status and Future Prospects

The cosmetics retail industry in Hamar is a small but varied sector with 10 registered companies. Most companies do not have employees or operating income, but two businesses (Rituals Cosmetics Norway As and Heges Parfymeri As) have a more significant presence. The industry has experienced both strong growth periods and declining trends, especially in recent years. There is a clear variation in financial health between companies, with one of them (Heges Parfymeri) reporting negative results. This shows that the industry has both opportunities and challenges for new players.

Economic Trends

• Sales: The industry experienced a strong increase in sales of +106% from 2023 to 2024, but a decline of -9% in 2025. The highest sales reached NOK 46.5 million in 2024.
• Employees: The number of employees has varied between 28 and 46 in recent years, with a decline of -12.5% from 2025 to 2026. The current level is 28 employees.
• EBITDA margin: The only reported EBITDA margin is 12% for Rituals Cosmetics Norway As, while Heges Parfymeri has a negative EBITDA margin of -6%.
• Gross margin: Rituals Cosmetics Norway As has an extremely high gross margin of 2695%, indicating that they have low costs relative to sales.

Registered Companies

The following companies are registered in the cosmetics retail industry in Hamar:

Most companies have no operating results or employees. Rituals Cosmetics Norway As is the most stable player with positive figures, while Heges Parfymeri has negative results.

Geographic Distribution

All registered companies in the industry are located in Hamar municipality. There is no breakdown by sub-areas in the data, but the following companies have addresses in Ridabu:

• Sparkling Stars Mauseth
• Åge Stenseth

No activity is registered in other city districts or municipalities in connection with this industry.

Operational Dynamics

• Bankruptcies: No companies in the industry have gone bankrupt in the data range.
• Stability: Rituals Cosmetics Norway As has shown stable growth with +8% in sales and +12% EBITDA margin. Heges Parfymeri, however, has negative results, with -11% growth in sales and -6% EBITDA margin.
• New Companies: Two companies were founded after 2020 (Jancic Natural Handcrafts and Maria Kostøl), but they have no operating results yet.

Future Perspectives

For entrepreneurs in the cosmetics retail industry in Hamar, important considerations include:

• Market Size: The industry is small, with only 10 companies. This provides opportunities to fill market gaps, but also limitations in critical mass.
• Competitiveness: Rituals Cosmetics Norway As is a dominant player with high sales volume and positive financing. A new entrant must compete strongly to gain market share.
• Operational Risk: Heges Parfymeri shows that there are challenges in maintaining positive results. Entrepreneurs should consider business models that can handle uncertainty.
• New Opportunities: It is possible to leverage growth in 2024 as an indication of potential market changes, but it is important to be prepared for declining trends as in 2025.

SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in Hamar for cosmetics retail activities, with a focus on natural business development areas.

The cosmetics retail industry in Hamar has both opportunities and challenges. With a small market size and a dominant player (Rituals Cosmetics Norway As), it is possible to find space for new players, but it requires strong competitive business models. The negative results from Heges Parfymeri show that it is important to be prepared for operational risks. Entrepreneurs should also be aware of the large variations in sales and operating results over time. With the right strategy, it may be possible to develop a stable business in this sector.