Varner-Gruppen
Varner-Gruppen is a privately held Norwegian fashion retail group operating multiple clothing and lifestyle chains across the Nordic region.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Varner-Gruppen AS is a Norwegian fashion and textile retail group whose portfolio spans value-oriented apparel, denim, menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, footwear, and youth-oriented streetwear. The group traces its origins to 1962, when Frank Varner opened a clothing store named Frank Varner in Oslo's Grünerløkka district. The business expanded from a single independent shop into a chain and adopted the Dressmann name in 1967, establishing the foundation of the group’s later specialization in accessible apparel retail. Over subsequent decades, Varner-Gruppen broadened its customer base and brand portfolio through both organic development and acquisitions. It entered women's denim and fashion retail with Carlings in 1985, acquired the major Norwegian textile chain Cubus in 1989, bought the young women's chain Bik Bok in 1991, and acquired Vivikes in 1994. These moves gave the group a multi-brand structure covering distinct demographic segments rather than a single-format retail model. Later additions and launches included Urban, a retailer associated with snowboard and skateboard culture, and the creation of Volt and WOW in 2006. WOW was positioned as a younger counterpart to Bik Bok, while Volt targeted men aged approximately 19 to 35. The group's international expansion began in 1995 with its first store outside Norway, in Latvia. Varner subsequently entered Poland and Germany, and also operated in Austria. The international footprint was later reduced: operations in Latvia ended in 2014, while the German and Austrian stores were closed in 2020. As of 2025, the group’s retail presence is concentrated in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Varner-Gruppen operates a large network of stores under brands including Bik Bok, Carlings, Cubus, Dressmann, Dressmann XL, Junkyard, Volt, and Levi's Store. The supplied reference material describes more than 1,100 stores in total as of 2025, while also characterizing the group as having approximately 500 stores around Norway and a broader Nordic network. The apparent difference reflects differing geographic or counting scopes rather than a single clearly comparable figure. The group has also pursued changes in format and channel strategy. In 2019 it acquired the Swedish skate, snowboard, footwear, and streetwear retailer Junkyard, with the stated intention of strengthening e-commerce and developing additional physical stores in Norway and Sweden. In 2020, Urban was replaced by Junkyard within the portfolio, and WOW stores were closed with the concept absorbed into Cubus as a product line. Days Like This, the name adopted for the former Vivikes stores in 2016, was discontinued in 2019. Varner-Gruppen remains privately owned and unlisted. Operational control passed to Frank Varner’s sons, Petter and Stein Marius Varner, in 1995, and the business has subsequently been associated with the Varner family, including Joakim Varner. Its market positioning is based on a house-of-brands approach: accessible prices, broad physical distribution, recognizable specialist formats, and separate concepts for customer groups such as families, women, men, children, denim consumers, and streetwear shoppers.
History
Varner-Gruppen began in 1962 when Frank Varner opened the Frank Varner clothing store on Thorvald Meyersgate in Oslo's Grünerløkka neighborhood. Additional stores opened in Oslo and Trondheim during the following years. In 1967, the chain adopted the Dressmann name, which became the group's principal menswear format and one of its most recognizable retail brands. The company expanded beyond menswear during the 1980s and 1990s. Carlings, a jeans-focused store, opened on Storgata in Oslo in 1985 and gave Varner a stronger position in denim and women's fashion. In 1989, the group acquired Cubus from Jonas Øglænd, a conglomerate that had owned one of Norway's largest textile chains. The acquisition materially increased Varner's scale. Bik Bok, a young women's clothing chain, was acquired in 1991, followed by the women's retailer Vivikes in 1994. In 1995, Frank Varner's sons Petter and Stein Marius took over the company's operations. That year also marked the start of international expansion, with a first foreign store in Latvia. Varner later entered Poland and Germany by 2001 and at various points operated stores in Austria. The international strategy was subsequently retrenched: Latvia was exited in 2014, and the German and Austrian operations were closed in 2020. The group continued to develop concepts for narrower customer segments. Urban, focused on snowboard- and skateboard-related fashion, was acquired in 2001. In 2006, Varner established Volt for younger men and WOW for girls aged approximately 8 to 15. WOW was intended to serve as a younger companion to Bik Bok. As the group's portfolio evolved, WOW stores were closed in 2020 and the concept became a product line within Cubus. Urban was also superseded by Junkyard in 2020. Varner acquired Swedish action-sports and streetwear retailer Junkyard in 2019. The transaction was linked to strengthening the group's e-commerce capabilities and creating opportunities for further Junkyard store growth in Norway and Sweden. Junkyard's headquarters were moved from Sweden to Norway. By 2025, Varner-Gruppen's operations were concentrated in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Its portfolio included Bik Bok, Carlings, Cubus, Dressmann, Dressmann XL, Junkyard, Volt, and Levi's Store. The reference material reports more than 1,100 stores in total, while separately describing approximately 500 stores in Norway. Varner-Gruppen remains a privately held, unlisted family business.
- 2025
Nordic operations remain concentrated in four countries
[1]Varner is reported as operating in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, with more than 1,100 stores in total.
- 2020
Portfolio consolidation
[1]The group closes WOW stores, integrates the concept into Cubus, replaces Urban with Junkyard, and exits Germany and Austria.
- 2019
Junkyard is acquired
[1]Varner buys the Swedish skate, snowboard, footwear, and streetwear retailer Junkyard.
- 2016
Vivikes stores are renamed Days Like This
[1]The Vivikes chain is rebranded under the Days Like This name.
- 2014
Latvian operations end
[1]Varner closes all of its stores in Latvia.
- 2006
Volt and WOW are established
[1]The group launches Volt for young men and WOW for younger female customers.
- 2001
Urban is acquired
[1]Varner adds Urban, a retailer associated with snowboard and skateboard fashion.
- 1995
Second-generation family leadership begins
[1]Petter and Stein Marius Varner take over operations, and the group opens its first international store in Latvia.
- 1994
Vivikes is acquired
[1]Varner expands its women's retail portfolio through the acquisition of Vivikes.
- 1991
Bik Bok is acquired
[1]The group adds the young women's clothing chain Bik Bok.
Products and positioning
A privately held Nordic multi-brand fashion retailer focused on accessible apparel, specialized store concepts, broad geographic coverage, and distinct customer segments.
Menswear retail · 1967
Dressmann
Dressmann is Varner-Gruppen's established menswear chain, originating from the group's 1967 renaming of its original retail chain. It focuses on accessible everyday clothing for men, including casualwear, basics, work-oriented garments, formal items, and seasonal apparel.
Extended-size menswear retail
Dressmann XL
Dressmann XL extends the Dressmann proposition to larger men's sizes. The format applies the parent chain's value-oriented menswear approach to customers seeking a broader size range across everyday, casual, and occasion clothing.
Family apparel retail
Cubus
Cubus is a broad apparel chain acquired by Varner in 1989. It serves multiple family segments with affordable clothing and has also absorbed the former WOW concept as a product line following the closure of WOW stores.
Denim and casualwear retail · 1985
Carlings
Carlings began as a jeans store in Oslo in 1985 and developed into a denim and casual-fashion concept. Its role within Varner's portfolio is centered on jeans, youth-oriented casualwear, and related apparel and accessories.
Young women's fashion retail
Bik Bok
Bik Bok is a young women's clothing chain acquired by Varner in 1991. It occupies a trend-focused, accessible segment and formed the reference point for WOW, which was designed as a younger sister concept.
Streetwear and action-sports retail
Junkyard
Junkyard is a Swedish-origin retailer specializing in skateboarding, snowboarding, footwear, streetwear, and associated youth culture. Varner acquired it in 2019 and used it to reinforce e-commerce and develop a stronger physical presence in Norway and Sweden.
Young men's fashion retail · 2006
Volt
Volt was established in 2006 for men roughly between 19 and 35 years old. The concept provides contemporary menswear within Varner's multi-brand structure, complementing the broader and more established Dressmann format.
Denim brand retail
Levi's Store
Levi's Store locations are part of Varner-Gruppen's reported retail network. They provide a dedicated branded format focused on Levi's denim, apparel, and related products; the supplied material does not specify when the stores entered the portfolio.
Women's fashion retail · 2016
Days Like This
Days Like This was the name applied to Vivikes stores after a 2016 rebranding. The chain was later closed in 2019.
Brand decisions
2020
Consolidate youth and action-sports conceptsStrategyBackground
Varner reviewed smaller or overlapping concepts as its retail network and digital strategy evolved.
Action taken
WOW stores were closed and the concept was integrated into Cubus as a product line, while Urban was replaced by Junkyard.
Aftermath
The portfolio became more concentrated around Cubus and Junkyard rather than maintaining separate WOW and Urban store networks.
2020
Exit Germany and AustriaStrategyBackground
Varner reduced its international footprint after operating in Germany for 19 years and also maintaining stores in Austria.
Action taken
The group closed all of its German stores and ended its Austrian operations.
Aftermath
By 2025, Varner's reported geographic presence was concentrated in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.
2019
Acquire JunkyardM&ABackground
Varner sought to strengthen its e-commerce capabilities and expand its position in skate, snowboard, footwear, and streetwear retail.
Action taken
The group acquired Swedish retailer Junkyard and subsequently moved its headquarters from Sweden to Norway.
Aftermath
Junkyard became a larger part of Varner's action-sports and streetwear strategy and replaced Urban as the relevant portfolio concept in 2020.
Recent events
- 2020
Varner-Gruppen closes German and Austrian operations[1]
Other
The group ended its presence in Germany after 19 years and also closed its Austrian stores.
- 2020
Junkyard replaces Urban in the group portfolio[1]
Product generation
Varner used the Junkyard concept in place of Urban as part of its streetwear and action-sports retail strategy.
- 2020
WOW stores are closed and the concept is integrated into Cubus[1]
Other
The youth-oriented WOW store format was discontinued, with the brand retained as a Cubus product line.
- 2019
Varner acquires Junkyard[1]
M&A
Varner-Gruppen acquired Swedish retailer Junkyard to support e-commerce and expand the concept's physical presence in Norway and Sweden.
- 2019
Days Like This is discontinued[1]
Other
The women's chain created through the rebranding of Vivikes was closed.
Sources1 sources
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