GÄRNA Competitors

The story of Søstrene Grene starts in 1973 in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, when the husband and wife team of Knud Cresten Vaupell Olsen and Inger Grene open a store which turns out to be one of a kind. The couple sets out to create a whole new and wonderful shopping experience that caters to the senses. A place where creative and inquisitive minds can feel right at home. They call the store Søstrene Grene (in English: The Grene Sisters), but today, the concept is also known as “the wonderful world of Anna and Clara”. With a history at the Ballet Academy in Aarhus and a love of classical music, Knud Cresten sets out to create a store concept that artfully combines music, beautiful product displays and storytelling. And in 1973, he comes up with the idea for the sisters Anna and Clara, who come to embody all of his and Inger’s values and visions for the company. From day one, Anna and Clara invite guests to explore the labyrinth of aisles, where pleasant lighting, classical music and the smell of untreated wooden crates create a unique experience for anyone who enters the store. Along the store’s aisles, the product displays stir the guest’s creativity as they make new finds and set their imagination free. Even more important, however, is that the guests leave their hectic daily lives behind before journeying through the wonderful world of Anna and Clara. Today, Søstrene Grene is represented in many countries around the world and the chain is owned and operated by the second generation of the family, the brothers Mikkel and Cresten Grene. The headquarters are situated in Aarhus – the city where it all began. There, a team of Scandinavian designers and purchasers ensures that the sisters’ distinctive Nordic feel is present in every design that ends up in the store. The aim is for the Søstrene Grene stores to continue to provide a refined and innovative product range, setting the stage for great finds and positive experiences.

Positioned at the point where the beauty of history meets the thrill of right now, GUBI is the creative force and curator behind the world’s most extraordinary design from the 20th century onwards. Whether diving into archives or driving the designs of today, GUBI is responsible for a timeless, inventive, and intercontinental collection of furniture, lighting and interior objects that merge function with meaning, enhancing every space. As well as rediscovering and reintroducing lost treasures of design history for the present generation, GUBI collaborates with a hand-picked global roster of visionary design studios to create icons for tomorrow. Inspired by the past, always looking to the future, GUBI makes and shares stories that resonate with design lovers around the world, inspiring moments and memories to treasure. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, GUBI employs more than 100 people internationally, and collaborates with specialist manufacturers across the globe, sharing its collection with modern-design aficionados via gubi.com and retail partners around the world. Visit gubi.com/company/careers for current opportunities.

HAY is an innovative design company that creates high-quality, democratic furniture, lighting, and accessories with the world’s leading designers.