Store of the Month: Sko Uno (With Jeans Uno and Arbetarboden)
In the heart of Stockholm, there’s a unique trio of stores that have revived the concept of specialized fashion boutiques. Sko Uno, Jeans Uno, and Arbetarboden, all located within 30 meters of each other on Gamla Brogatan, represent a return to genuine craftsmanship and deep product knowledge – something often lacking in today’s retail landscape.
In this month’s store profile, we get an exclusive insight into the history behind these successful businesses, their philosophy, and future visions. The owners share their journey from taking over a classic shoe store to creating a mini-empire of specialty shops that attract both Swedish and international customers.
From western boots to Japanese denim, from workwear to iconic British shoe brands – let’s explore how these stores have become a destination for fashion-conscious customers seeking quality, expertise, and a unique range.
“Our goal is for our three stores to be world-class, which I believe we are well on our way to achieving. I say this with humility, not wanting to come across as arrogant in any way, but if we don’t run stores with that goal in front of us, we might as well shut down. We should simply strive to be the best.”
Marthyn Inghamn and Linda Berglund have been running the Sko Uno store for 10 years.
Tell us about Jeans Uno & Sko Uno, how did it all start?
Sko Uno started back in 1974 and has been one of the leading shoe stores in Sweden since then. Linda [Berglund] and I [Marthyn Inghamn] took over Sko Uno 10 years ago. At that time, unfortunately, the store was far from its former glory days. We worked incredibly hard for almost 2 years to get the concept in order and find a future for Sko Uno as a destination for Swedes but also for foreign visitors, which we have succeeded with today. Jeans Uno felt like a natural step to open, in November 2020 (in the midst of Corona times). We got an opportunity we couldn’t say no to, especially since both Linda and I have backgrounds in the jeans industry, Levi’s and JC. When it comes to Jeans Uno, we felt that there were no real jeans stores left, especially since JC had disappeared and other jeans stores felt more like “clothing stores”, nothing wrong with that but we felt that a REAL Jeans store was needed in Sweden.
So you run two stores that are side by side, how is that?
Actually, it’s now become 3, we started Arbetarboden last year, focusing on Workwear. All 3 stores are within 30 meters of each other on Gamla Brogatan. I believe there are only advantages, as we can use our staff where they are needed most, every day. We also have the luxury of ensuring that our consumers have the opportunity to find boots/shoes as well as the best in 5-Pocket denim and Workwear.
From left to right, the stores: Sko Uno, Jeans Uno, and Arbetarboden.
What do you consider to be the most important aspect of your relationship with your suppliers?
The communication and clarity about what we can achieve for them but also what they can do for us. We meet several suppliers on-site, mostly in Spain, which means we are very close to the manufacturing process and thus have a unique knowledge of how shoes/boots are made. We also work very hard on brand care, those we work with should feel that our stores take care of the brands and work long-term with the brand flora. Our goal is for our three stores to be world-class, which I believe we are well on our way to achieving. I say this with humility, not wanting to come across as arrogant in any way, but if we don’t run stores with that goal in front of us, we might as well shut down. We should simply strive to be the best.
How does your product range and brand selection look in the different stores?
We have a very wide range but have certain focus areas: Western Boots & Clothing is obviously an important core in our business, we have several hundred different models and see that we can still increase, right now the interest around Country & Western is enormous. The most important brands here are Sendra, New Rock, and Micc Western (our own brand manufactured in Spain). Then we work with the “English” part, with brands such as Solovair (Made in England), Dr Martens, Underground, and others, also quite a lot of Steeltoes, which have been at Sko Uno for years. We then spice it up with original brands like Vans, Playboy, Clarks, etc. When it comes to Jeans Uno, the focus is on 5-Pocket denim and the “core products” around jeans (denim shirts, denim jackets, etc.). The most important brands here are the classics, Wrangler, LEE, Levi’s, Replay, Nudie, Edwin (Japan), etc. Here we have also focused on jeans in 100% cotton, both unwashed and washed, with or without Selvedge. We spice it up with the trends that are happening, currently True Religion, Jeanerica, Miss Me, etc.
The stores offer a wide range of clothing and brands, with a particular focus on styles such as Country & Western and English rock.
We’ve seen that you also sell brands that have showrooms here in Stockholm Fashion District. Can you tell us more about your relationship with these brands and how you think about purchasing from them?
[Stockholm] Fashion District is important for us as we have the opportunity to feel what’s happening locally and we get a chance to check out some brands that we’ve had our eye on. Brands like Stetson, Rock n Blue, Jofama, Clarks, Palladium, Playboy, and others, we have the opportunity to place orders but also discuss how we work moving forward. On several occasions, we have “stumbled upon” brands we hadn’t even thought about when we were in Nacka, which is very positive.
