April marks the 40th anniversary of the world’s first ever JYSK store. This will be celebrated with the official opening of JYSK Museum on Friday 8 March, when Lars Larsen’s wife, Kris, will cut the ribbon for the museum.

On 2 April, it will be 40 years since Jysk Sengetøjslager entered the world. On the occasion of the round birthday, the company, today simply known as JYSK, has created a small museum at its international head office in Brabrand, Denmark.

On Friday 8 March at 2pm, the founder of it all, Lars Larsen, has therefore invited special guests to the official opening of the historic place, including the mayor of Aarhus, Jacob Bundsgaard, who will give a speech at the opening.

“It feels like yesterday when we opened the first store on Silkeborgvej in Aarhus. But I do see from the old photo albums that the hair was not quite as grey back then. The many bits and pieces that my wife, Kris, has been good at collecting tell a fantastic story, which shows we have come a very long way in those 40 years. Imagine what it will look like in another 40 years,” says Lars Larsen.

A great offer

As guests enter the museum, they will find themselves in a mini-version of a store with a counter and products on the shelves. Behind the counter, Lars Larsen greets visitors via a projector that projects a welcome video with the founder onto the wall.

“Hello, my name is Lars Larsen. I have a great offer for you: The entire history of JYSK together in one place,” he says in the beginning.

After the welcome, guests can freely explore the space, which fills a curvy hallway with shelves from floor to ceiling and is filled with memorabilia in different themes, such as annual parties, employee uniforms and expansion to new countries.

Lots of great stories

Besides documenting the story of JYSK for posterity, the museum will serve as an introduction for new employees and partners to the history and development of the company. So explains Carl Erik Stubkier, Media and Event Manager in JYSK, who has been in charge of the museum project.

“While we have been building the museum, I have offered colleagues from Denmark and abroad guided tours. I will continue to do so, because it is a lot of fun and a fantastic opportunity to share some of all the great stories that I know about the old days,” says Carl Erik Stubkier, who has been with JYSK since 1982, but also attended the first opening in 1979 as an external partner.

Even without a personal guide, guests can explore history using interactive screens and signs with further information.