JYSK celebrates two birthdays in one year
Date: 02/04/2024
Author: Michael Rotermund, Head of Communications Germany
Category: Expansion , History , Sales Growth
This year, JYSK has been in business for 45 years and at the same time our company in Germany celebrates its 40th anniversary.
It is 1979. A young man from a humble background wants to make his dream come true and open a store in Aarhus, Denmark. Without capital and without much support from banks or suppliers.
The store was to be called “JYSK Sengetøjslager” (translated as “Jutland bed linen warehouse”) – and thus expressed what was important to him, our founder Lars Kristinus Larsen: being a Dane and, above all, a Jutlander – honest, down-to-earth, predictable.
His dream came true and despite minor teething troubles, “JYSK Sengetøjslager” became a success in Denmark. 2 April 2024, it is 45 years since this story took its beginning.
Digital Diary “40 Years of JYSK”
The milestones of JYSK Germany's history have been compiled in a “Digital Diary” and can be found here www.jysk.de/40-jahre-jysk (only in German).
Check out the link for a journey through four decades of JYSK Germany!
40 years of JYSK in Germany
But Denmark was not the end of his horizon. Lars Larsen wanted to create a globally successful company with JYSK. And he achieved his goal. JYSK is a global brand with more than 3,300 stores in 48 countries today.
Lars Larsen's first step across national borders took place 40 years ago. Five years after founding his company in Denmark, he opened the first German store under the name DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER on 31 March 1984 in Flensburg.
Over the years, the store network and sales grew. Today, Germany is by far JYSK’s largest country market with more than 950 stores serviced by three huge distribution centres located in Homberg, Zarrentin and Kammlach.
“JYSK Germany stands for 40 years of continuous growth and constant development. The largest part of our success is based on our more than 8,000 employees in the stores, administration and logistics centres, of whom I am very proud and whom I would like to thank very much for their great commitment. We want to add many more chapters to our 40-year success story,” says Country Director in JYSK Germany, Christian Schirmer.
JYSK wants to continue to grow
In Germany this financial year, around 15 new store openings are planned and over 150 existing locations will be converted to Store Concept 3.0. At the end of the financial year, two thirds of all stores in JYSK Germany have completed the conversion to the newest store concept.
”A very big congratulations to JYSK Germany on the 40-year anniversary. Germany was the second country our founder Lars Larsen opened JYSK stores in and have far exceeded his expansion ambitions with almost 1,000 stores today. I want to thank our employees and country management for their hard work and dedication, and I look forward to celebrating the next anniversaries and milestones for JYSK in Germany,” says President and CEO of JYSK, Rami Jensen.
