Oslo is an intriguing mix of historic buildings and innovative architecture, quiet museums and lively bars, old and new. Located in one of those historic buildings in Stortingsgata is our partner, one of the leading high-end department stores in Scandinavia: Ferner Jacobsen. Established in 1916, the family-owned business has a long held presence in the city. Since the very beginning, they have focused on offering classic and contemporary garments for men and women with the highest standards. We caught up with the store’s Buyer and Style Advisor, Chris, to learn more about what makes this place so great.

The store was established over 100 years ago. That’s a pretty amazing achievement. What do you think is the reason Ferner Jacobsen is still going strong to this day?
Our tagline is “Trygghet i kvalitet”. I think the direct translation in English is “Security in quality”. It’s a combination of how we see ourselves and what the customers have come to expect from us. That is what we always give. That’s why they have loyalty to and believe in Ferner Jacobsen.

Quality is definitely close to our heart too. How do you bring that to life in your stores?
We always do our best to inspire the customer. Every day, most of the staff is actually wearing clothing from Atelier Munro and we find that the customer gets most inspired by that.

How long have you been working with Atelier Munro?
Many years now. We started with Munro in the spring of 2013 as a private label named Ferner Jacobsen. It was a super start and we enjoyed it a lot. Then 5 years later, when Atelier Munro decided to change the concept and become your own brand, we joined you and opened the shop-in-shop in our store on the 1st floor. We had an area with chairs and a TV for customers to relax and drink coffee. That spot now doubles as that Atelier Munro space and we are doing great business there, so that’s also wonderful! We still serve coffee for sure, but you have to stand amongst the clothing and get inspired while you drink!

What would you say has been the store’s biggest success of late?
A lot has been happening in the last few years. When the pandemic hit, it became really clear how important it was to be online. We started our online business slowly in 2011, so when the Covid-19 arrived we were ready and had an incredible journey. We are just thankful the owners of Ferner Jacobsen understood early on how important it was to invest digitally. Now we’re back and our physical stores are open too.

That’s great to hear. Your flagship store is beautiful. Tell us more about it.
The location is in the city center of Oslo, between the royal palace and the government palace. It’s a very central location and a nice area. The store has been in the same building since 1926. So, there is a lot of history in the walls.

We can’t wait to visit again. Where else should people visit when they’re in Oslo?
I would also recommend visiting the new hotel Sommero and the rooftop bar there. It’s also nice to go to Holmenkollen and see the view over Oslo. If you want to have a very special pizza, go to the restaurant next door Teatro and order “Løyrom” in English it translates to “Whitefish roe” Try it! You will love it. I can also recommend some nightclubs, but we can talk about that when you visit Ferner Jacobsen to get dressed up before you go out!