The successful companies on the keys to a successful 2024 in interior

With the Days of Trade fair in Malmö only weeks away, we speak to the industry insiders on how to elevate your business also in challenging times.

Based in central Stockholm, Anne-Lie Rosenqvist and Åsa Iggström and their new team member, Miss Lilly Blackrain (a mini Dachshund), run Cook’n Bloom – In The Kitchen – a passionate business corporation that imports selected kitchen tools.

– These are tools that make foodies bloom in their kitchen, tools that you use mostly every day and will last you a lifetime if you care for them, they say. Our philosophy and ambition is that the products we choose to include in our portfolio will last over time and be functional. Products that stand out in its area and add extra value to a choosy end user, who is either a professional cook or a passionate cook at home, and has aspirations to perform like a pro. When we see the products appreciated and used by so many happy food enthusiasts, it confirms our idea with our company. We believe in long-term relationships, therefore we place great importance on listening to our customers, so their challenges become our common ones.

Anna Ekelund works as an agent. Her agency, Ellens Agentur, focuses on interior brands in Sweden, working with the likes of Sthål, Classic Collection, Stuff Design, Vondels, and The Dybdahl Co.

– I have high-quality brands that complement each other, she explains. My success is in building long-term relationships with retailers, partners, and colleagues. I think it’s important to work together as colleagues in the industry. If we help each other, we move forward and have success together in the future. I have been a member of Trade Partners from the beginning and I’m happy to be in this community.

You’re also exhibiting at Days of Trade on April 22 and 23 in Malmö. Why is it important for you to be there?
– I appreciate this new meeting place, Ekelund shares. It’s something different from other fairs, and I was one of the people who took the initiative to this exhibition. It’s a place for you to get inspiration and energy. The building (Slagthuset, Ed’s note) is an old factory and the place is really beautiful.

– It’s an inspiring and creative fair that is at the forefront when it comes to trends in interior design, lifestyle, and sustainability, Cook’n Bloom’s Rosenqvist and Iggström explain. Days of Trade attracts an exciting and wide range of buyers, exhibitors, and influencers. The size of the fair makes it tangible for the visitors, unlike many other, larger fairs. It has created a special vibe and network amongst the exhibitors which is also encouraged between buyers. This is nothing you find elsewhere.

What do you look forward to for this edition? And what will you show?
– To meet existing and new clients and of course, meet all exhibiting colleagues, Rosenqvist and Iggström say. We will show premium kitchen tools for the outdoor and the indoor kitchen, cooking and serving with style.

– I look forward to meeting retailers and colleagues and will show news and how all the brands work together, says Anna Ekelund.

The interior and design experienced quite unprecedented years during the pandemic. Was it the same for you?
– Yes, it was crazy and I remember that I missed meeting my customers IRL, Ekelund says. You had to be more creative and I rented a showroom, so I could have digital sales meetings.

– Those years started with great uncertainty about what would happen, Rosenqvist and Iggström remember. When the confusion subsided, it caused people to slow down and notice their immediate surroundings more carefully. It benefited our business positively as people chose to take care of and invest in their homes in a more thoughtful way. 

Are things a bit back to normal now? How is the industry doing?
– After the pandemic, we all know what happened. We’ve had high costs for stock after the crazy demand during the pandemic. Post-pandemic, we got high inflation and a falling currency which made the market uncertain and wary. This together caused a negative effect on business, but now we see positive signs of everything picking up again. We wouldn’t say it’s back to ‘normal’.

The time now is completely different from the time before the pandemic. Our focus now is to adjust and find new solutions for all unexpected surprises in the times of change that affect many industries today, Rosenqvist and Iggström explain.

– I think we have to say we are back to the new normal, Ekelund explains. It’s not going to be the same anymore – also the fairs aren’t going back to how it was before. They have to think outside the box and that is what we have done with Days of Trade. Instead of big fairs, it’s popping up new smaller fairs. I think that’s great! It’s a challenge with the current economic situation in Sweden, so we focus on maintaining the relationships with the retailers and continue visiting them.

What’s next for you?
– I have a new brand in the agency, Nordrå, says Ekelund. At the end of March, I have an event with interior decorators at my showroom, together with Residence Interior and Olsson&Jensen. At the beginning of April, we have buying days with ShowroomsGuiden.

– After our latest project to complete our dealer portal and our own pop-up shop, we will deepen existing supplier relations and we will be adding a new range of bar accessories. We are very excited about that! Rosenqvist and Iggström conclude.