Helly Hansen opens its first flagship store in Oslo

HH also makes survival suits. Photo courtesy of Helly Hansen,

Norwegian clothing company Helly Hansen (HH) opened a brand new concept store on Karl Johans gate in Oslo on Oct. 16.

The totally renovated store gives customers a unique interactive experience with a variety of sound, video and graphic effects – all highlighting the brand’s experience as the leader in protecting and enabling passionate professionals who work on the world’s mountains and oceans, write HH on its website.

Karl Johans gate is Norway’s busiest shopping street. An estimated 18.5 million people will annually pass the new flagship store. According to HH’s global retail director Peter Castella the store carves the way for what the company intends to do with retail going forward. “This store gives us a chance to provide people with a true Helly Hansen experience. By using innovative technology and a number of special features, we hope to inspire, excite and involve our customers,” says Castella.

Special features

The store is HH’s first true Flagship. Among its features are innovative sound showers, giving a feeling of being outdoors while browsing. A “global weather station” delivers live weather reports and video from Helly Hansen destinations around the globe, such as Aspen, Mont Blanc, Jotunheimen and the Bering Sea. The changing rooms are also worth a visit. Three special-designed changing rooms gives the customer a feeling of being “in the environment” while trying on apparel.

The HH experience

The flagship store also contains an interactive zone, labeled the “Helly Hansen Experience”. Here visitors can relax, hang out, and explore the web for more information about HH and its products. People are also invited to investigate and test the different fabrics and materials used in the product lines in terms of breathability, endurance and weather protection.

A little history

The company dates back to 1877, when Norwegian captain Helly Juell Hansen starts producing oilskin apparel using linseed oil, in Moss, Norway. His waterproof gear was an immediate success, and Helly Juell won diploma for excellence at the World Expo in Paris in 1878. The heritage from Helly Juell Hansen is still HH’s cornerstone. Today the company’s gear is used by world-class sailors, skiers and adventurers who spend their time between human will and nature’s forces, and demand full protection and performance when the conditions are at their worst.

Helly Hansen will also open a new concept stores in Manchester, UK on October 27 and in Gothenburg, Sweden later this year.

Source: Hellyhansen.com