Kappahl
| KappAhl Sverige AB
|
|
|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Aktiebolag (stock corporation) |
| ISIN | SE0010520981 |
| Seat |
Mölndal , Sweden
|
| management | Johan Patrik Åberg |
| Number of employees | approx. 4000 |
| Branch | clothing |
| Website | www.kappahl.com |
Kappahl ( proper spelling : KappAhl) is a Swedish fashion chain based in Mölndal near Gothenburg . With around 4,000 employees, Kappahl operates almost 400 shops in Sweden , Norway , Finland and Poland . In addition to in-store sales, Kappahl runs an online shop for Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Company history
The first shop opened in the spring of 1953 in the Gothenburg district of Kallebäck. The founder Per-Olof Ahl sold inexpensive women's fashion there. Since Ahl initially mainly sold coats (Swedish: kappa ), he was soon called "Kapp-Ahl" in the press. In 1954, one year after it opened, Kappahl had sales of 4.5 million crowns. In 1963 Kappahl operated 25 shops in Sweden and had sales of 50 million kroner. The 50th store was opened by the end of the 1960s.
At the beginning of the 1970s, Kappahl experienced a slump in sales, among other things due to import restrictions in the Swedish textile and clothing industry. The company looked for new concepts and started selling children's clothing.
In 1985 Kappahl achieved sales of one billion crowns. In the same year, the first branch abroad was opened in Basel . At the same time, the company began selling plus-size women's dresses. In 1986, Per-Olof Ahl handed over management of the company to his son Pieter Ahl. In 1988 the first shop was opened in Norway.
In 1990 Pieter Ahl sold the company to the Swedish consumer cooperative Cooperativa Förbundet and left the company. In the same year the first store was opened in Finland. In 1993, in the fortieth year of business, sales reached two billion crowns. The company now had over 130 branches in Sweden, Norway and Finland. However, operations in Switzerland were discontinued. The company acquired the Danish clothing chain McCoy in 1997. In 1999 Kappahl opened its first branch in Poland and also expanded its business activities in Norway by purchasing the clothing chain Adelsten.
In 2000 and 2001, Kappahl continued its international expansion in Poland and the Czech Republic. In 2002, after a change of management, the business focus was again shifted to Sweden, Norway and Finland. Activities in the Czech Republic and Denmark were discontinued.
In 2011, Kappahl started online trading in Sweden. Between 2011 and 2013, Rune Andersson / Mellby Gård AB increased its stake to over 20% through investments. In 2014 online trading was expanded to Norway and Finland.