Great retail starts with great people
This is the mantra that’s lived and breathed by Bård Kvamme, Retail Director at premium Norwegian outdoor brand, Norrøna.
Go into any Norrøna store and you’ll see, in an instant, how good their store associates are at bringing the brand to life and sharing the brand’s story. In this interview, Bård shares how vital store associates are in creating exceptional customer experiences and why empowering them with the right tools is key to long-term success.
The interview highlights how Norrøna’s approach to people and technology is paving the way for retail success - both now and into the future - and how you can do the same.
Hi Bård, thanks so much for taking the time to chat today. Can you start by giving us a bit of background about yourself and your role at Norrøna?
– Sure! I’m the Retail Director at Norrøna and I’ve been with the company for about five years now.
– At Norrøna, we currently have around 40 stores worldwide, including partner stores. Norway is, of course, our home market, but we also have stores in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and the US, as well as partner stores in France, Italy, and Austria.
– What makes us a little different as a Norwegian brand is that, unlike the country’s focus on exporting oil and gas, we export premium outdoor products. About 65% of our sales come from international markets. The US is currently our largest export market, with Germany as our second. The US is growing quickly for us – we now have four stores there and recently opened a new one in Boston in May. So, we’re expanding at a good pace, especially with a focus on the US, both in retail, online, and wholesale.
That’s impressive growth! With that in mind, how important are store associates in bringing Norrøna’s stores and brand to life?
– Our saying at Norrøna is simple: retail is all about people.
– We can have great locations, build beautiful stores, and offer the best products, but at the end of the day, it’s always about the people – our store associates. They are the true ambassadors of the brand. They represent Norrøna, explaining who we are, what our products do, and the technical aspects of everything we offer.
– Store associates are absolutely critical to Norrøna’s success. They’re the ones connecting with customers, and for us, it’s essential that they’re motivated and equipped with all the knowledge they need. That’s more important than anything else. They’re the ones driving sales, and if the stores don’t work, nothing else will. The real battle for sales doesn’t happen in the office; it happens in the stores. If our stores don’t perform, nothing else does.
– That’s why our people are always at the top of our priority list. We’re fortunate to have many loyal, long-term team members at Norrøna. Of course, we’re always bringing in new talent too, and it’s essential that we integrate them into our culture and way of working.
Given how important store associates are to the brand, what qualities do you look for when you’re hiring?
– When it comes to hiring, we take a slightly different approach than some other brands. We’re not looking for a ‘stereotypical’ candidate. At Norrøna, an interest in the outdoors - whether it’s skiing, hiking, or other outdoor activities - is a great starting point, but beyond that, we love people who bring their unique personality to the table.
– We have what we call ‘The Norrøna Way of Selling,’ which guides how we interact with customers, but a key part of that is allowing everyone to be themselves. We don’t want a one-size-fits-all approach to selling. We value individuality, whether someone is an extrovert or an introvert, and we really nurture that uniqueness.
– Our goal is to give our associates all the tools they need - how to talk to customers, present the products, and represent the brand - but we encourage them to stay true to who they are. It’s part of our DNA to embrace this individuality. We believe that when our people are authentic, it resonates with customers and creates a better, more genuine shopping experience. We’re not looking for cookie-cutter candidates; we want unique people with a passion for the outdoors, and everything else can be taught.
You mentioned earlier that keeping your associates motivated and knowledgeable is a priority. How do you go about that?
– First and foremost, it’s essential for us to create a healthy working environment where people genuinely enjoy working - we make sure Norrøna is a great place to work.
– We ensure that everything – like salaries, benefits, and insurances – is properly in place so that these basics are never an issue. Beyond that, we focus a lot on building a strong culture and reinforcing our brand.
– Our store associates are our most important asset, so we make sure they have the time and energy to focus on customers rather than being bogged down by other tasks.
– Twice a year, we bring all our shop managers together for a three-day seasonal kickoff. This allows us to align, motivate each other, and strengthen our culture. Our shop managers are a crucial part of this - they take that energy and culture back to their stores.
Let’s talk about technology. How do you make sure the tools you provide your associates enhance their ability to deliver great service?
– So, when it comes to tech, we often ask ourselves: Is it tech for tech’s sake? Sometimes, it can feel like technology is just there to exist, but for us, any system we use, buy, or create must have a clear purpose – improving either the customer experience or the staff experience. And usually, those two things go hand in hand. When staff are happy and have the right tools, they can give customers a better experience.
– It's not about the systems themselves; it’s about making the entire experience seamless. For example, we don’t want our shop managers sitting in the back office for hours generating reports. They should be able to pull up everything they need with just a couple of taps on an iPad. If our staff have a good user experience, they’ll spend more time with customers, which means more brand building and more sales. That’s what we want – not tech for tech’s sake, but tech that enhances the customer experience.
– A good example is the number of times we’ve had people try to sell us self-service solutions, like you see in grocery stores. At Norrøna, we will never have self-service. We believe in better service, not self-service. Our focus is on connecting with the customer, understanding their needs, and recommending the right products for their activities.
– For us, the key is staying close to the customer. If technology can help us do that, then it’s moving in the right direction. But if it distances us from them with fancy systems, it’s missing the point. It’s all about making the whole experience seamless, both for customers and for our team.
Just how important are your stores and your store associates when it comes to growing your brand?
– Really, there’s no better way to build a brand than through physical stores. Sure, we can grow the brand online, but nothing compares to what we can create in a Norrøna store with our own staff.
– As a premium brand, we need to tell our story and explain our products in person. That’s where the magic happens – when customers come into the store and meet our staff. Our associates are the ambassadors who bring the brand to life and tell the story in a way that truly connects.
– For us, there’s no Plan B. Plan A is to have physical retail, online, and wholesale channels working together, but our stores are essential – they’re brand hubs where customers can come to learn, experience, and engage with us.
– Last year, we held around 200 events in our stores. And here’s the interesting part – none of these events were about sales or discounts. We didn’t do the typical ‘come to our event and get 50% off’ kind of thing. Instead, these events were purely about building community. We served coffee, maybe a bun, or if you were lucky, a beer – but the focus was on storytelling, not selling. Our ambassadors would come in to share their experiences and stories, and this helped build a connection with our customers.
– It’s this physical environment, created by our staff and these events, that is crucial to building the brand and setting the standard for who we are.
You’ve mentioned storytelling a couple of times. How do your store associates help bring Norrøna’s story to life, especially when it comes to sustainability and innovation?
– Storytelling is a huge part of our DNA. In Norway, our brand awareness is almost 100%, but in our export markets, we often have customers walk in with no idea who we are.
– If we look at the US, many customers walk into our stores without knowing the brand. They’ll see the nice colors, the beautiful store design, and feel a great atmosphere, but they’re unfamiliar with who we are. A typical conversation in our U.S. stores might start with us explaining, ‘We’re an outdoor brand founded in 1929, now run by the fourth generation of the same family.’ And for many Americans, hearing that we’ve been around since 1929 is impressive in itself!
– While it’s important to have YouTube videos and online content, there’s something magical about having real people tell the brand’s story in their own words. In our export stores, we often have customers spending 20 minutes looking at the history wall while someone explains our story – our heritage, our sustainability goals, and where we’re heading in the future.
– That kind of in-person interaction, where you’re having a conversation over a cup of coffee with someone who is genuinely passionate about the brand, creates a special kind of magic. It’s something you just can’t replicate online or through a YouTube video. You need people to make it happen.
Finally, what advice would you give to other retail leaders about the importance of investing in their people for long-term success?
– The key to success with people lies in taking a long-term approach. It can't be a short-term, P&L-driven project that lasts just a couple of months. Building a strong team and culture requires a long-term vision and commitment. You need a proper strategy, and you have to understand that people are the core of your company. You can have great products, but without the right people, there’s no company.
– My advice to other retailers would be to take a step back, look at the business from a broader perspective, and establish a plan where your stores and your people are a top priority. Your retail staff need to feel - and see - that they’re an essential part of that plan. This requires a long-term perspective. If you treat people like commodities, you’ll never attract or keep the best talent, and you certainly won’t build a positive culture by just hiring and firing people.
– You have to hire the best people, retain them, keep them engaged, and ensure they’re happy and motivated. That’s when success follows. But building a strong culture takes time – it doesn’t happen overnight. It needs to be built on a solid foundation, and you have to continuously nurture and develop it. If you're struggling to attract the right people, it’s a tough project to start, but focusing on culture is the only way to truly make it work in the long run.
– The best products in the world won’t sell themselves – your associates are the ones who make it happen. And if you invest in them, treat them well, and build a strong culture, that’s when you’ll see long-term success.
Key Takeaways and Tips from Bård Kvamme
1. Retail is about people, not just products.
Your store associates are the key to making your brand come alive.
2. Be yourself
Authenticity in staff creates genuine customer connections, building trust and loyalty.
3. Empower associates
The right tools empower associates, enabling them to focus on delivering exceptional customer service.
4. Bring your brand to life
Storytelling, especially through in-person interactions, remains a powerful way to build brand loyalty.
5. Invest for success
Investing in your people is a long-term strategy that’s critical for sustainable success.
At Sitoo, we believe in empowering store associates with the right tools and tech so they can become brand champions and your best ambassadors. Want to find out more? We’d love to talk.
