‘We’re the only shop here that’s not part of a chain’
Since 2001, Exo has been a favourite among locals at Morenen shopping centre in Slitu. Customers travel from far and wide to visit the shop, and they have built up a very loyal customer base.
It took just two weeks from Hege Iren Dahl Zezanski and Malin Renate Ekeberg Johansen had the idea until they had found premises. Neither of them had any experience of running a shop, but they have now been in the game for almost 24 years.
‘There was no turning back once we had opened. We never imagined it would turn out like this, but we’re still here,’ says Zezanski smiling.
-‘We never sit down while we’re at work. There are no stools behind the till.’
We’ve tried our hand at pretty much everything over the years. In 2001, we started up selling womenswear and menswear. In 2007, we got the chance to move into bigger premises, so decided to open a children’s department. In 2019, we stopped selling menswear because we had plans to start our own café. This was just before the COVID-19 pandemic, so you can imagine how that went. It didn’t last long,’ says Ekeberg Johansen.
Tough times
‘We are the only store at Morenen shopping centre that is not part of a chain. It’s been tough at times, especially the last few years. First there was the pandemic and then the refurbishment of the centre started. We had to close for eight months.’
‘What did you do then?’
‘It became an extension of the pandemic. We can laugh about it now, but it wasn’t very funny at the time,’ says Zezanski.
However, the time was spent planning a new store, and on deciding which concept to go for.
Built the shop themselves
‘The refurbishment luckily meant that we got new, attractive premises. They’re roughly the same size as before, but are much better. We had help to plan the space, but the drawings didn’t match the idea in our heads, so we did it ourselves. In fact, we built the entire shop ourselves, and a lot of work went into it. It was a fun process, and we’re very proud of the result,’ says Ekeberg Johansen.‘Who works at Exo?’
‘Malin and me, and we have two students who work Saturdays and when needed. The students we have now are really capable, which we depend on.’
‘What about you two, do you enjoy work most when things are a little chaotic?’
‘Yes, we’re happiest then. We really enjoy working! There’s always a lot to do though. We never go and sit in the back room. ‘We never sit down while we’re at work. There are no stools behind the till here,’ they say with a smile.
Customers come from far and wide
‘How do you get customers to come to the shop?’
‘People come to see the new shops at the centre, and many of them pop past us too. We actively use Instagram to market the shop, which attracts a surprising number of people. Many people with second homes in the area also drop past, thanks to our location beside the E18 road. We also have a number of regular customers who come a long way to visit us, including from Halden,’ says Ekeberg Johansen.
-‘Texcon keeps us up to date with what’s happening in the industry.’
Texcon since day one
‘We have been proud members of Texcon since we opened our doors after the refurbishment in 2007. It makes running the shop easier and more predictable, and gives us opportunities we otherwise wouldn’t have had. We primarily use them for invoicing. When the pandemic hit, it was reassuring that Texcon had our back. They’ve also helped us write good contracts and have been an important sparring partner over the years. Texcon keeps us up to date with what’s going on in the industry,’ says Zezanski.