Normal (chain store)
{{Short description|Danish retail store chain}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Normal A/S
| image = Normal, Saltgade 10, Ribe - på åbningsdagen.jpg
| image_size = 260px
| image_caption = Normal store in Ribe, Denmark
| industry = Retail
| hq_location = Skanderborg, Denmark
| area_served = Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Italy
| key_people = Steen Overholdt Hansen (CEO)
Jan Dal Lehrmann (Chairman)
| revenue = 2 billion DKK (2020)
| num_employees = 1,972
| website = {{URL|normal.eu}}
}}
Normal is a Danish bargain-priced variety store chain primarily selling shelf-stable food and personal care products by national brands. It was founded by Torben Mouritsen and Bo Kristensen in 2013 with the first store in Silkeborg, Denmark.{{Cite web |last=Kristensen |first=Mick |date=2017-06-09 |title=Torben Mouritsen solgte magten i Normal - nu er hans formue mangedoblet |url=https://finans.dk/erhverv/ECE9634001/torben-mouritsen-solgte-magten-i-normal-nu-er-formuen-mangedoblet/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=Finans |language=da}} Its largest markets are Denmark, France, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
Concept
The stores have a maze layout with a course that leads the customer through all their product categories before returning to the checkouts at the front of the store. Mouritsen calls the chain a hybrid between a grocery store and a personal care store. However, they are not considered a supermarket.{{citation needed|date= February 2024}}
The concept could be compared to Danish variety store chains Flying Tiger and Søstrene Grene as they also offer a large varied selection of products at affordable/competitive prices in stores with a maze layout. However, Flying Tiger has more gimmick products and private-label food/personal care items, and Søstrene Grene has a greater focus on design and lifestyle branding.{{citation needed|date= February 2024}}
According to the founders, about 80% of customers are women.{{Cite web |last=Hyltoft |first=Vibe |date=2014-10-25 |title=Nyt butikskoncept: »Alle vil jo gerne spare« |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/content/item/464858 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=Berlingske.dk |language=da}} During the chain's lifetime, the director of Bestseller, Anders Holch Povlsen, has invested so much in the chain that he's become the main shareholder with an ownership stake of 71.29% through his own investment company Heartland A/S.{{Cite web |date= |title=CVR - Det Centrale Virksomhedsregister |url=https://datacvr.virk.dk/enhed/virksomhed/34883793 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=CVR Virk}}
Stores
The first Normal store opened on 6 April 2013 in Silkeborg. There were 9 stores by 2015. On 10 May 2017, the chain announced that it would open its first two stores outside Denmark in Kristiansand, Norway.{{Cite web |date=2017-05-10 |title=Butikskæden Normal åbner i Norge |url=https://fodevarewatch.dk/Detail/article9568354.ece |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=fodevarewatch.dk}}
The company is based in Skanderborg, Denmark employing 1,972 people.{{Cite web |title=NORMAL A/S |url=https://cvrapi.dk/virksomhed/dk/normal-as/34883793 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=CVR API}} and operating 682 stores (June 2024){{Cite web |title=Normal |url=https://www.normal.eu/find-store/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=www.normal.eu}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Country !Number of stores (June 2024) |
| {{Flag|Denmark}}
|161 |
| {{Flag|Finland}}
|72 |
| {{Flag|France}}
|126 |
| {{Flag|Netherlands}}
|13 |
| {{Flag|Norway}}
|155 |
| {{Flag|Portugal}}
|24 |
| {{Flag|Spain}}
|30 |
| {{Flag|Sweden}}
|116 |
References
- [https://www.berlingske.dk/emne/normal Normal]. Berlingske.
- Lauritzen. [https://www.berlingske.dk/virksomheder/discount-supermarked-vil-fordoble-antallet-af-butikker Discount-supermarked vil fordoble antallet af butikker]. Berlingske. 15 January 2016.
- Pedersen. [https://www.berlingske.dk/virksomheder/normal-direktor-vi-har-tilsyneladende-ramt-helt-rigtigt Normal-direktør: Vi har tilsyneladende ramt helt rigtigt]. Berlingske. 16 May 2017.
- Espersen. [https://www.berlingske.dk/virksomheder/ung-butikskaede-slaar-igen-milliardrekord-vil-aabne-endnu-flere Ung butikskæde slår igen milliardrekord – vil åbne endnu flere butikker]. Berlingske. 25 November 2023.
- Mortensen. [https://jyllands-posten.dk/jpaarhus/ECE12576577/normalkaeden-udvider-med-nye-butikker-i-aarhus/ Normal-kæden udvider med nye butikker i Aarhus]. Jyllands-Posten. 23 November 2020.
- Traeholt. [https://jyllands-posten.dk/erhverv/ECE16630999/normal-buldrer-frem-og-slaar-igen-milliardrekord/ Normal buldrer frem - og slår igen milliardrekord]. 24 November 2023.
External links
- [https://www.normal.eu Official website]
{{varietyStores}}
Category:Retail companies of Denmark