Clas Ohlson opens first smaller format store
Clas Ohlson has chosen St Albans as the location for its first new smaller format store as it presses ahead with its omni-channel strategy.
The Swedish homewares retailer said the store is the first to present the product range in a new way and in substantially less space than a typical Clas Ohlson store.
While still maintaining the breadth of product, the store will offer customers access to the full range of products via customer terminals. This will also be Clas Ohlson’s first store to offer a click & collect service which will now be extended to all Clas Ohlson’s stores in the UK.
Peter Jelkeby, vice president of Clas Ohlson, said: “We are constantly striving to become more relevant and accessible in our offering and in the customer meeting. With this new, smaller store format, we can offer a full product range in a much smaller space which will help us to be more flexible when expanding our store network.”
The new store is situated in The Maltings shopping centre in St Albans and has a retail space of approximately 300 square metres.
The retailer is planning to launch “another couple of stores” in the new small store format in the first evaluation phase. During the 2015/16 financial year, Clas Ohlson is aiming to open a total of 10-15 new stores.
Clas Ohlson offers online shopping in all its markets and operates 201 stores including 82 in Sweden, 74 in Norway, 32 in Finland, 12 in the UK and a franchise store in Dubai.
