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The mail order business that Clas Ohlson started in 1918 in Insjön is now an established European retail business. There are about three thousand staff working in Sweden, Norway, Finland and the UK who all follow our company motto “Making things easier for people to solve their everyday practical problems”. You are warmly welcome to read about the journey we have made, the future challenges we face and the values, concepts and responsibilities on which our business operations based.
Clas Ohlson is a rapidly expanding retail business with sales of over SEK 5 billion in Sweden, Norway, Finland and the UK. The Head Office lies in the same town where its business operation began in Insjön, Dalarna County. The company has been listed on Stockholm's Stock Exchange (OMX) since 1999.
Our Media Centre contains an overview of our press releases, current store openings, relevant company information and other news of interest. Images, video clips and important contact information are also found here. You are welcome to contact us regarding any of your media related requests. Ring our switchboard at +46 (0)247-444 00 or e-mail us with any queries at press@clasohlson.se
Do you share our view that helping people solve their everyday problems whether big or small is one of the most satisfying things one can do? Then Clas Ohlson may be the company for you with exciting multifaceted roles and job assignments on local, national and international levels. At Clas Ohlson the possibilities for advancement, training and personal development are endless.
There are several ways to contact us. Click on the link that best suites your needs and you will access your information more quickly. Uncertain about who to contact, call our main switchboard at +46 (0)247-444 00 or Customer Services at +46 (0)247-445 00 and you’ll receive the assistance that you need. We look forward to hearing from you!
It should always be easy and convenient to find what you need at Clas Ohlson. In Sweden and Norway, we sell a wide array of home, multimedia, electrical, leisure and hardware products both though our online store and by mail order. In both Finland and the UK, sales are conducted through our expanding retail network. All our purchasing, transport and goods are handled responsibly according to strict environmental and sustainability standards.
Read our Annual Reports here.
Annual report
More than 90 years of successful mail-order operations have laid the foundation for the strong position currently held by Clas Ohlson. We still sell via mail order/Internet, but the largest sales channel today is our 139 stores (30 Apr 2011) in Sweden, Norway, Finland and the UK. The stores account for 98 per cent of the sales.
Clas Ohlson’s stores should preferably be situated in strong, centrally located shopping centres, where the company works together with other stores and chains to bring about repeat visits. We own and operate our stores ourselves. Store premises are rented on long-term leases. Most of the product range in each store is easily accessible for self-service. Less than 10 per cent of products are sold over the counter.
Clas Ohlson has customers of all ages. To improve accessibility, the company offers three different store concepts based on size: 1,500 – 3,000 square metres for large cities and catchment areas, 1,000 – 1,500 square metres for medium-sized towns and 700 – 1,000 square metres for small towns or to complement the company’s existing stores in large cities. In smaller stores, the product range concentrates on Clas Ohlson’s most popular products. Other products can be ordered and collected form the store within 48 hours. This concept is now in place in several towns in Sweden and Norway.
Clas Ohlson is an attractive and popular store among customers and companies in its shopping centres. Our store-openings often result in a substantial increase in the number of visitors to the entire centre. Clas Ohlson stores attract new customer categories, and their broad range brings in visitors of all ages, both men and women. According to a survey conducted by the trade magazine Market (spring 2010), Clas Ohlson is the store that consumers between the ages of 15 and 64 would most like to see in a shopping centre (besides a liquor store and a pharmacy).
Our new store concept is designed to make it easier for customers to find their way around the stores. The concept includes a new décor, signs, customer terminals, information and order counters and checkouts. The new store concept was launched in 2008/09 and all stores opened in the past year were built according to it. Existing stores are gradually being adapted, with seven stores renovated and modernised in 2010/11.
A new store initially entails a financial commitment of SEK 12 – 14 M, broken down into SEK 3 M in start-up expenses, SEK 4 – 5 M in investments in store interiors and computer systems and SEK 5 – 6 M in inventories. Start-up costs for stores in the UK are initially higher, and amount to approximately SEK 5 – 6 M, mainly due to higher marketing costs. New stores in Sweden and Norway have become profitable as early as their first 12 months of operation. The same applies to some stores in Finland. It generally takes longer to achieve profitability in countries where Clas Ohlson is newly established and where the brand is new.
Clas Ohlson continues to open new stores in markets where it has already established its presence. During the 2010/11 financial year, a total of 19 stores were opened, which is more than during the preceding year when 14 new stores were established. In the 2010/11 financial year, the company plans to open 17-22 stores, of which two to four in Finland and one to four in the UK. Conditions for opening new stores in the Nordic region are deemed favourable and the trend in Finland in the recent year has been positive. Clas Ohlson will continue to expand in the UK but will balance the expansion rate to match prevailing market conditions.
Store sales during the 2010/11 financial year totalled SEK 5,739 M (5,462), up 5 per cent on the preceding year. In local currency, sales rose 8 per cent. Store sales accounted for 98 per cent of the total Group sales. Start-up costs for new and refurbished stores, including the disposal of equipment, totalled SEK 89 M (60).
Clas Ohlson’s stores in Sweden had 34.9 million visitors during 2010/11, up 0.4 million or 1 per cent compared with the preceding financial year. Of the visitors, 16.5 million also made purchases. The number of stores increased by five during the financial year, and the total number of stores in Sweden at the end of the financial year was 61. The Swedish market still offers scope for continuing to opening new stores, despite the company’s already relatively high market penetration in the country. Several stores with catchment areas with a population of 30,000 – 50,000 show that the company can also achieve favourable profitability in smaller towns.
Clas Ohlson’s stores in Norway had 14.8 million visitors during 2010/11, up 1.8 million or 14 per cent compared with the preceding financial year. Of the visitors, 9.6 million also made purchases.During the financial year, nine new stores were opened and the total number of stores in Norway at the end of the financial year was 50. Similar to the Swedish market, the Norwegian market has not yet reached its saturation point in terms of continued openings of Clas Ohlson stores. Profitability was also strong for stores in smaller towns that have catchment areas with a population of 30 000 – 50 000.
Clas Ohlson’s stores in Finland had 6.3 million visitors during 2010/11, up 0.3 million or 5 per cent compared with the preceding financial year. Of the visitors, 2.9 million also made purchases. The number of stores in Finland was 17, and one new store was opened during the financial year. Potential for increasing sales in existing stores by continuing to clarify Clas Ohlson’s offering in the Finnish market is considerable.
Clas Ohlson’s stores had 8.3 million visitors in 2010/11, up 4.9 million compared with the preceding year. During the financial year, four new stores were opened and the total number of stores in the UK at the end of the financial year was eleven. Response from customers in our stores in the UK is positive and, despite the tough market climate, the number of visitors and customers in the UK stores matches the Group average. The conversion rate and the average purchase remained lower in the UK compared with the Group average, which is normal when entering new markets. Clas Ohlson expects it will take time to establish the brand and position in an entirely new market and that the conversion rate, average purchase and sales will increase gradually in coming years.
Our mail order/Internet sales (via the Internet, telephone and catalogue) totalled SEK 89 M (94) in 2010/11, down 5 per cent decrease compared with the preceding financial year. The decline was primarily due to Clas Ohlson opening stores during the year in areas that previously were offered only the mail order/Internet channel. The Internet accounted for 73 per cent (74) of the company’s mail order/Internet sales during the financial year. Clas Ohlson’s mail order/Internet sales are of strategic importance to the Group. Although this channel is currently limited to Sweden and Norway, the company intends to expand the service to Finland and the UK in the future. Customers are displaying a distinct trend of wanting to make purchases both in stores and online. Stores, mail order/Internet and customer services complement each other and offer new opportunities to increase sales and further strengthen customer relations. During the 2011/12 financial year, a new e-trade platform will be launched, which will lay the foundation for the expansion of mail order/Internet sales.
