Founded in 1876 in Kristiania (now Oslo), jeweller David Andersen founded his eponymous brand, combining industry with craft. In 1927, the brand opened the doors to its, now iconic, store in one of Scandinavia’s main shopping streets, Karl Johans gate, on Egertorget.
— It was not only the most elegant, but also Scandinavia’s largest jewellery store for a long time, Lund-Hermanrud explains. It has been a familiar sight to the residents of Oslo for almost a century — in August, we launched our restored flagship store. It now appears as brand new.
What’s new?
— We have not jumped on fashion trends but built a store for the future with a focus on lasting and exclusive solutions. We have delved into our history and looked at pictures from earlier eras. Several pieces of furniture and decorations have been restored from the last century. In addition to classic details and specially designed elements, the space promotes contemporary artists such as Ali Shah Gallefoss who has contributed to the decoration of the premises.
During Oslo Runway, guests were welcomed to the renovated space as well as the, also modernised, workshop on the second floor.
— Large windows facing the rest of the office premises provide an insight into the workshop’s productive everyday life. Together with the design studio next door, the tone for creativity and innovation is set throughout the company.
How do you handle the shift in consumer behaviour to create a relevant brick-and-mortar retail space in 2022?
— The Google report How affluent Shoppers Buy Luxury goods, A Global View stated that, of luxury consumers, 100% own a smartphone, a tablet, or a desktop, giving them access to digital channels, 75% do online research and 68% uses a search engine before the purchase. So, when people have started shopping luxury goods online, we put great focus on the shopping experience at the new store, offering personal guidance in an exclusive setting. We know that, for us, more than 50% of our customers search online for their needs and wishes, but we believe that most people will still want to touch, feel, and see, for instance, the reflections on our jewels. And even though our goods don’t demand a lot of space, we have prioritized a lot of space to create the exclusive and private surroundings that we see necessary for our clients. In our new store we have two separate rooms for total privacy when needed — and five seating areas for a discreet and comfortable shopping experience, says Lund-Hermanrud.
The new space also includes a separate service area for reparations of all kinds of jewellery as well as David-Andersen’s latest launch — bracelet welding — which has recently been trending on TikTok.
— The customer can book an appointment with a goldsmith to get a perfectly fitted bracelet of choice welded on as a forever bracelet. It’s fused closed and has no clasp. I believe that we’re the first with this in Scandinavia.
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