Field Notes from Stockholm (Revisited)
Ten stops, one city, and a reminder that minimalism only works when it’s intentional.
Hello old friend, it’s been a while. Welcome back to Field Notes.
ICYMI
Field Notes is a content series where we explore the luxury retail landscape in cities worldwide. They’re meant to be anecdotal; we’re sharing and observing what we see.
The idea is that we’ll take a neighbourhood or city with a strong luxury retail presence and dissect what we like about the retail establishments there.
PS – Check out our Fields Notes from LA.
For the latest edition, I spent a day walking Stockholm’s retail scene.
From the low autumn sun on the pavements to the tranquility inside Toteme, Stockholm’s retail landscape is defined by restraint and precision. But restraint cuts both ways. Some brands turn it into focus. Others into flatness.
I was joined by friend, fellow brand obsessive, and someone equally as opinionated as me about what does and doesn’t work in retail - Shamoli Miah. We were both in town to catch up with our pals at Centra, Resourced, Madden, Dema and more.
1. Peak Performance
I started the morning at Peak Performance before meeting Elias and Jonathan from Resourced for lunch. One of the best outdoor and performance stores I’ve visited anywhere in ages.
The store was dialled in. Product and colour blocked beautifully, merchandised with real flow, and soundtracked by good music. The vibe was just right. Big fan.
2. A.P.C.
Next up, A.P.C.
Some places are about the product, others about the vibe. Then there’s a few places where the people really make the difference.
It’s here I met David, the store manager - a Londoner now living in Stockholm. You could tell immediately: open, expressive, proud of his taste. He talked me through how he dresses the store, the rhythm of changing displays, the balance between brand direction and intuition.
That kind of openness is rare. Usually retail hides its logic. Similarly, he opened up about the cultural differences and how different dynamics play out in Stockholm vs London. He was explaining how uncovering customer tastes and getting a sense of what pieces would excite them is harder to do in Stockholm, as people are much less likely to talk openly about themselves (vs London). There’s a more reserved, private culture that he’s really had to get used to.
When someone shares their process, the store becomes part of the story.
3. Toteme
Two floors of composure. A stone staircase that belongs in a gallery. Displays chosen, not filled. Fragrance perfectly pitched, music calm, team attentive but not over-bearing.
My photos can’t do the space justice.
It’s premium retail done with absolute control. Nothing loud, nothing wasted.
An absolutely beautiful store.
4. Hestra Gloves
I arrived just as the sun broke through. The store sells only gloves, and somehow feels more complete than most multi-category spaces.
Every surface is an argument for not expanding product ranges. Their products are such high quality (as Aran, CEO at HighCohesion, testifies) and the store matches up.
Focused brands radiate a quiet confidence. Master one thing properly.
5. Nudie Jeans
This was where Sham joined. And where I made my only purchase of the trip: a fresh pair of pale Rad Rufus jeans.
The store was everything you want physical retail to be. Warm. Lived-in. Honest. A repair station in view, denim hanging naturally, staff easy to talk to. You could feel the values stitched through the space.
When the experience feels true, the sale takes care of itself.
6. A Day’s March
Good clothes, good layout — but no heartbeat. No music, no spark. Everything looked premium but didn’t feel it.
Sham: “It’s like an expensive Uniqlo.”
She’s right. Restraint without warmth just feels empty.
The store looks fine, but feels flat.
7. Floristkompaniet
Our next stop was a hidden gem on Norrlandsgatan 16. A florist filled with colour, unconventional plants, and a really intentional sense of placement. They handpick daily from local growers and the hillsides of Liguria.
It’s the kind of place that pulls you in. Fair to say, it was easily the most enthusiastic I’d seen Sham all day. There’s a strong chance she’ll become a florist in a future life.
8. Chimi × Aïwa
Strong brand identity outside with striking posters, confident tone. But inside? It felt like a hotel lobby: all design, no soul. Sparse product, polite but detached service, and an upstairs “eye-test” area that belonged in a small-town optician.
Sham: “Not unpleasant — just not inviting.”
It made me think of Cubitts back in the UK: same category, completely different energy. Cubitts stores feel human: warm lighting, tactile materials, staff who actually help you find the right fit. Chimi, by contrast, felt like a showroom, not a shop.
Maybe it’s cultural - Swedish cool versus British familiarity - but the outcome’s the same: Clinical and without connection.
I suppose brand theatre only works if people still feel part of it.
9. Our Legacy
Underwhelming. The floor looked tired (akin to a dilapidated, small town leisure centre), the staff disengaged, the music oddly soft-rock.
Me: “There’s no real theme.”
Sham: “Vintage charity shop?”
Me: “Exactly.”
It’s a reminder that style without atmosphere is just staging.
10. Samsøe Samsøe
Easily the most chaotic stop. Rails overstuffed, boxes left out, glasses dirty. The website suggests premium minimalism; the store felt the opposite.
Sham: “Maybe that’s their vibe.”
Me: “That’s not vibe, it’s laziness.”
Takeaway: M’eh.
Reflections from the circuit
By the end of the day, Sham and I had seen more beige walls and brushed steel than an IKEA design sprint. But when Stockholm gets it right - Toteme’s calm, Hestra’s focus, Nudie’s honesty - it’s world-class. The moral? A store doesn’t need to shout to be memorable, but it does need to say something. Otherwise, you’re just selling nice lighting.
— Luke