With promises of low prices, labyrinths filled with candy and beauty products, along with a loyal fan base on Tiktok, Normal's cartoon characters are popping up like mushrooms in shopping centers and malls. Since the start in 2013, the chain has grown to 800 stores in eight countries – of which around 130 are in Sweden. The turnover increased by nearly 40 percent last financial year.
Behind the success stands the Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, Normal's largest single owner.
The 52-year-old Dane was a dominant figure in fashion and beauty long before Normal's success.
Died in the terrorist attack
At the turn of the millennium, he inherited the family empire Bestseller, which includes brands such as Vero Moda and Jack & Jones. He is a major shareholder in the e-commerce giant Zalando and the payment company Klarna – and is considered the UK's largest private landowner, according to The Times. He has been buying up enormous estates in Scotland, where he is also occasionally resident.
Last year, Povlsen had assets of over 7.5 billion dollars, according to Bloomberg, making him Denmark's richest person.
Anders Holch Povlsen was also widely reported, even in Swedish media, when he was hit by an unimaginable tragedy in 2019.
At Easter 2019, his three children Alma, 15, Agnes, 12, and Alfred, 5, were killed in the bombings in Sri Lanka that claimed hundreds of lives. Only daughter Astrid survived.
The funeral was almost a state affair in Denmark, and among the guests were the current Danish royal couple, who are friends of the Holch Povlsen couple. The following year, he and his wife Anne had children again – two twin daughters.
Slave-like conditions
However, Holch Povlsen has not avoided criticism in his professional life.
Bestseller has generated enormous wealth for its owner. At the same time, slave-like conditions prevail in several subcontractors' factories in Cambodia and Myanmar, as revealed by investigations from, among others, Danwatch.
During the corona crisis in the spring of 2020, Anders Holch Povlsen chose to lay off 750 employees in Denmark – despite the company's billion-dollar profits and despite offers of government support. The owner received harsh criticism from politicians and trade unions for the decision.
He has also been criticized for his not-so-climate-friendly travel habits. According to an investigation by DR, the billionaire's two private jets have made at least 1,115 flights over four years. Among other things, Anders Holch Povlsen flew in Lionel Richie as entertainment for his private 50th birthday party.
At the same time, he claims to be a big environmentalist. The plan is to restore large areas of land in Scotland to wilderness, with trees and wildlife, revealed the otherwise media-shy magnate to The Sunday Times in 2019.
