Offering 50% discount before shutting the doors for good

The Krambúðin convenience store in Urriðaholt, Garðabær, will offer customers a 50% discount on all products starting tomorrow, with the exception of nicotine and tobacco. The store will then close permanently once its stock has been sold out.

In an interview with mbl.is, Svanur Valgeirsson, managing director of Krambúðin and 10-11 at Samkaup, said that the store’s operation had been struggling, about two years after its opening in Urriðaholt.

“We’ve been losing money there, and it just isn’t sustainable. The plan now is simply to clear out the store and close it,” Svanur said.

Customers asked to help empty the shelves

Regarding the 50% discount, Svanur explained that while it would have been possible to transfer the store’s products elsewhere, management thought it would be better to invite customers to help clear the shelves.

Parking problems a major issue

One of the store’s biggest challenges, he said, was the lack of parking in the area.

“It’s obvious — when you have Bónus and Costco nearby with huge parking lots, it’s a problem if our customers arrive and can’t find a spot. They’re quick to go somewhere else.”

Focus shifts to remaining 20 stores

Since Orkan acquired Samkaup in July, two Krambúðin stores have been shut down — the Urriðaholt location and, more recently, the store in Akureyri.

Svanur said that both stores had been a drag on the chain’s performance, and that closing them would allow the company to focus on its remaining 20 locations around the country.