Knit Store in Bjørnafjorden: Industry Overview and Outlook

The knit store industry in Bjørnafjorden is a small but dynamic sector with 7 registered companies. In recent years, the industry has experienced both growth and decline, with a peak in 2021 (67 employees) and a decline to 60 employees in 2025. The main operations are located in Hagavik and Eikelandsosen, where there is a clear difference in economic performance. The industry has not experienced bankruptcy, but shows signs of economic challenges, particularly for companies with a low number of employees.

Sales Development (2016–2025):

• 2016: NOK 5.3 million
• 2021: NOK 9.1 million (peak)
• 2025: NOK 7.4 million (decrease of 18.3% from 2024)

Employee Development (2016–2025):

• 2016: 7 employees
• 2023: 67 employees (peak)
• 2025: 60 employees (decrease of 3.2% from 2024)

The industry experienced strong growth in 2020–2021, but has since experienced a gradual decline. Sales and number of employees reached their highest level in 2021, but have not managed to maintain this level afterward.

Registered Companies (7 total):

Most companies are AS entities, but there is also an ENK (sole proprietorship). Kamille in Eikelandsosen is the only company with reported sales and operating results, although it shows signs of economic challenges.

Activity distributed across locations in the municipality:

• Hagavik: 1 company (Link Brands As) with 43 employees, but no sales or income reported.
• Eikelandsosen: 1 company (Kamille) with 5 employees, sales of NOK 7.5 million and a negative operating result of NOK 47,000.

There is a clear difference in economic performance between the two locations. Hagavik has a company with many employees, but no economic data, while Eikelandsosen has a company with activity, but with small economic results.

Bankruptcy Statistics:

• No bankruptcy reported in the knit store industry in Bjørnafjorden.

Economic Challenges:

• Kamille in Eikelandsosen has a negative operating result (NOK -47,000) and zero EBITDA, despite sales of NOK 7.5 million.
• Many companies have no reported income or operating results, which may indicate low activity or newly established companies.

Growth and Decline:

• A strong increase in the number of employees (from 13 in 2021 to 67 in 2023), but a decline since 2023.
• Sales reached a peak in 2021, but have not managed to maintain this level afterward.

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

Opportunities:

• Eikelandsosen shows potential for business operations, even though Kamille has economic challenges. This may indicate room for new companies in the area.
• There is no bankruptcy in the industry, which may be a positive sign of stability.

Challenges:

• Sales and number of employees have shown a decline after 2021, which may be a challenge for new companies.
• Many companies have no reported income or operating results, which may indicate low activity or newly established companies.

Recommendation:

• Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on Eikelandsosen, where there is an existing business, even though it has economic challenges. It may be possible to develop a business model that builds on local culture and needs.

Overall Industry (Creative, Arts, and Entertainment Activities):

• Number of Companies: 38 (the knit store industry has 7 companies, so this is a broader area).
• Sales (2025): NOK 77.4 million (the knit store industry had NOK 7.4 million in 2025).
• Employees (2025): 121 (the knit store industry had 60 employees in 2025).

Peer Companies in the Overall Industry:

Conclusion:

• The overall industry has higher sales and more employees, but the knit store industry is smaller. This may indicate room for specialization within creative and entertainment activities, but with a smaller economic scale.

The knit store industry in Bjørnafjorden is a small but dynamic sector with potential for growth, particularly in Eikelandsosen. Although the industry has experienced a decline in sales and number of employees after 2021, no bankruptcy has been reported, which may be a positive sign of stability. Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on local culture and needs, as well as leveraging existing businesses such as Kamille in Eikelandsosen. It is also possible to develop a business model that builds on collaboration with the overall industry (creative, arts, and entertainment activities), even though this is a smaller scale.