Shaping a new retail concept with Fjällräven
Customer
Industry
Time & place
2026, Nordiska Kompaniet
Project type
Description
The pilot for the new concept, aimed at attracting a younger, female audience, resulted in a more elegant and sophisticated evolution of their former concept. It maintains the core elements that express their brand DNA, with wooden materials, craftsmanship details and a soft, nature-inspired color palette.
Fjällräven is widely known for its timeless, functional and durable apparel and equipment, and has long held a strong position within the premium outdoor segment.
Fjällräven is exploring a more urban, female customer segment, drawn to lifestyle and streetwear. The new retail concept is being introduced at Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm.
In this pilot project, our role was to interpret and translate Fjällräven’s heritage into a contemporary retail experience. The brand is always guided by the founders’ principles, and finding the right balance between honoring the past and leaning into something new became a central part of the design process.
The ambition was to create a tactile and atmospheric space where heritage meets tomorrow’s outdoor culture, enabling exploration, learning and connection. As part of the Nordiska Kompaniet setting, the design also needed to feel sophisticated and discreetly exclusive – thoughtful, but more importantly harmonious and true to the brand’s DNA. A challenge we were eager to take on.
Result
The result is a space that feels warm, calm and distinctly Fjällräven – a more refined and elegant evolution of the previous concept. Wide walkways and a restrained use of elements create a sense of openness, allowing the store to read as one cohesive impression rather than many competing ones.
Compared to a more traditional outdoor retail environment, the expression is softer and more urban, with a character closer to a premium apparel store than a technical outdoor space. As a pilot, the store also serves as a platform to test and evaluate new ideas over time, identifying what resonates and what can be further developed in future iterations.
Color, Material and Finishes
The foundation of the concept is not new – wood remains the key element throughout the design. What is new, however, is the use of contrast and the introduction of more tactile, natural materials such as cork, wool and leather.
Choices that help evolve the expression towards a softer and more contemporary direction, aligned with a more urban and style-conscious customer.
The CMF is divided into two families:
- A lighter palette acts as the main material direction for the sales floor – airy, warm and calm.
A darker palette, with deeper tones and richer textures, defines and accentuates key areas, creating a clearer spatial hierarchy within the concept.
“Every detail is carefully selected to reflect our love for nature and commitment to long-lasting quality” says Tony Kraftling, Deputy Brand Director & Global Sales Director at Fjällräven.
Light
The lighting reinforces the connection to nature. A grazing light along the lower part of the walls references the sun rising at the horizon, adding a subtle and understated glow to the space.
Details
The strength of the concept lies in its deliberate details – hand-carved arctic foxes, brass logotypes, handcrafted doorknobs, leather tabletops and exposed construction elements. Together, these elements contribute to a tactile and authentic experience, while also acting as key carriers of the brand’s identity in a new retail context.
Contributing to the airy and light feel of the concept, the wall rails are brought forward rather than being traditionally recessed into the walls. This creates depth, helping to frame the products and allowing highlighted areas to stand out more clearly – almost like shop windows within the store.
