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.[1] Its largest markets are Denmark, France, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
Concept
The stores have a maze layout with a course that carries you through all their product categories, leading you to return 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]
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]
According to the founders, about 80% of customers are women.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4]
The company is based in Skanderborg, Denmark employing 1,972 people.[5] and operating 682 stores (June 2024)[6]
| Country | Number of stores (June 2024) |
|---|---|
 Denmark
|
161 |
 Finland
|
72 |
 France
|
126 |
 Netherlands
|
13 |
 Norway
|
155 |
 Portugal
|
24 |
 Spain
|
15 |
 Sweden
|
116 |
References
- Normal. Berlingske.
- Lauritzen. Discount-supermarked vil fordoble antallet af butikker. Berlingske. 15 January 2016.
- Pedersen. Normal-direktør: Vi har tilsyneladende ramt helt rigtigt. Berlingske. 16 May 2017.
- Espersen. Ung butikskæde slår igen milliardrekord – vil åbne endnu flere butikker. Berlingske. 25 November 2023.
- Mortensen. Normal-kæden udvider med nye butikker i Aarhus. Jyllands-Posten. 23 November 2020.
- Traeholt. Normal buldrer frem - og slår igen milliardrekord. 24 November 2023.
- ^ Kristensen, Mick (2017-06-09). "Torben Mouritsen solgte magten i Normal - nu er hans formue mangedoblet". Finans (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ Hyltoft, Vibe (2014-10-25). "Nyt butikskoncept: »Alle vil jo gerne spare«". Berlingske.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ "CVR - Det Centrale Virksomhedsregister". CVR Virk. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ "Butikskæden Normal åbner i Norge". fodevarewatch.dk. 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ "NORMAL A/S". CVR API. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ "Normal". www.normal.eu. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
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