Gek?s Ullared: Is Sweden's mega discount store worth a trip?

You’ll have heard of Ikea, of course, and it’s almost certainly the first place that springs to mind when thinking of Swedish shops. But do you know about Gekas Ullared?

Gaisjonke (CC)

Maybe not, but this shop is actually Sweden’s biggest visitor destination, attracting some five million people a year through its doors. So, where is Gekas Ullared?

And what is its appeal? Check out our guide to all you need to know about Gekas Ullared, Sweden’s largest discount store. What is Gekas Ullared?
What’s the story behind it?
Where is the store?
Is it actually cheap?
Why you should go
Other activities nearby
Can you stay overnight?
Is it worth visiting?

What is Gekas Ullared?

The largest superstore in Scandinavia, Gekas Ullared is essentially a giant discount store that sells pretty much everything from toys to toiletries, clothes to camping equipment and food to furniture. 

The store covers around 35,000 square metres, and sells a mind-boggling 100,000 different products.

Wusel007 (CC)

Swedes love the place, mostly for its cut-price clothes and bargain brand names, with many making a bi-annual pilgrimage there to stock up on homewares, fashion, technology – or simply for a fun day-out with the family!  Some even come for the weekend, and combine their shopping with a stay at the nearby campsite, a swim in the lake or a skiing trip. On average, 13,000 people visit the store each day, with the record for the most visitors a day being an astonishing 29,200 people.

And the most money spent in just one day in the store was a whopping 40.5 million SEK (almost £4m)!   There’s even a webcam on the website that shows the queue status, so you can see how busy the store is and how long the entrance line is at any time. It’s also spawned a popular reality TV series Ullared, set in the store, which was the most watched programme on Sweden’s Kanal 5 with an average of 1 million people tuning in to each episode (around a tenth of the Swedish population).

But, it’s not just the Swedes who love Gekas Ullared, other Scandinavians often make the journey over the border from Denmark and Norway too – and even Germans are in on the action.   And unusually for Sweden, the checkout tills accept Euros as well as Danish (DKK), Norwegian (NOK) and Swedish kronor (SEK) – though only notes, not coins.

What’s the story behind Gekas Ullared?

The year 2023 marks Gekas Ullared’s 60th birthday, so the success of this store is no mere flash-in-the-pan. The store was founded by Goran Karlsson on the ground floor of a house in Ullared in 1963. 

Its name comes from his initials – GeKas.  Initially, Gekas sold coats for men and women at discount prices, and was so successful that by 1991, the business was sold to a consortium of six company employees for 130 million SEK. Today, some 133 million products pass through the shop’s 82 checkout tills a year, and the total value of the goods in the store at any one time is around 50 million SEK (£5m).

Where is Gekas Ullared located and how do I get there?

In the Falkenberg Municipality in Halland County, Gekas Ullared is in Ullared, and dwarfs this tiny village of around 800 residents.

Its address is Danska vagen 13, 311 85 Ullared.  Although the store is in Sweden, it’s actually closer to both Copenhagen and Oslo than it is to Stockholm, which may go some way to explaining its popularity amongst non-Swedes. Here’s a chart to show its distance from major Scandinavian cities and capitals.

By far the easiest way to get to Gekas Ullared is by car.

And there’s no problem with parking once you get there, as it has Sweden’s largest car park, with some 3200 free spaces, plus 83 electric charging spaces. And the site of the store is so huge that there’s even a free bus that runs round the car parks, the shop buildings and all the on-site accommodation (see below). Getting to Gekas Ullared by public transport is possible, but not easy or quick.

The nearest train stations are at Varberg and Falkenberg, from where you’ll have to catch bus #651 (from Varberg) or #555 (from Falkenberg).

Is Gekas Ullared actually cheap?

Like many discount stores, Gekas Ullared buys stuff in volume, and sells it off cheaply. However, this means that it doesn’t always stock the same range of brands and you don’t necessarily know what will be on sale when you get there.  

Hakan Dahlstrom (CC)

If you’re prepared to browse around and buy the seasonal stuff that they have in, then you’ll almost certainly find a bargain. If, however, you’re looking for a specific brand or product, it may not necessarily be any cheaper than buying it in other stores or online.

So why would you want to go there?

Apart from the pretty forest setting, shopping here is a uniquely Swedish shopping experience.

Need an eczema rug for your horse? Or a Squishmallow cuddly toy for your child? A hunting jacket, a hamburger press or some heart-shaped balloons for Valentine’s Day?

No problem, Gekas has you covered.

Gunnar Creutz (CC)

As well as selling a vast variety of clothes, homeware, furniture and food, Gekas has regular tie-ins with local designers and celebrities, such as singer and actor Pernilla Wahlgren and singer Marie Serneholt. Not only that but there are five cafe/restaurants where you can refuel before a further shopping session. The most popular is simply called The Restaurant which serves up Ikea-style dishes such as nine meatballs with potatoes and lingonberries for a bargain 49 SEK (around £4.70).

The tasty pancakes with jam and whipped cream are particularly popular at 35 SEK (£3.40) per plate.

Beyond the shopping, what else is there at Gekas Ullared? 

So, it’s not just the shopping that attracts people to Gekas Ullared. It location surrounded by woods with a pretty lake where you can swim or fish is also a draw. And there are plenty of activities nearby, including a ski slope, golf course, high-ropes course, bike rental, a children’s playground, padel tennis courts, a hairdresser and treatment salon, plus live events from stand-up comedians to DJs.

Of course, this being Sweden, there’s also a floating sauna on the lake with outdoor hot tubs.

Can you stay overnight at Gekas Ullared?

It’s not surprising that some people decide to make a weekend of it, and stay overnight at Gekas Ullared.  There are plenty of accommodation choices, including a campsite (for tents and camper vans), a motel, a couple of hotels with both double rooms and hostel-style accommodation, plus log cabins and cottages that you can rent. Other options include the very cheap, but basic Vandrarhem i Ullared hostel, a two-minute walk from the store, while the Vid Gekas Ullared Boende B&B has comfortable rooms, some 500 metres from the shop.

Is Gekas Ullared worth visiting? 

Well, that depends really on how long you’re in Sweden for and how far you’ll need to travel.

If you’re staying nearby, it’s probably worth a visit just for the experience and the sheer Swedish-ness of it all!

Hakan Dahlstrom (CC)

But, when you consider that the shop’s best-selling item is socks (it sells around 13 million pairs a year) and that a lot of the stuff it sells can be bought more cheaply online, it probably won’t be your top priority on a trip to Sweden. If you do want to experience the whole thing, however, consider carefully when you go so that you can avoid the crowds. The store is quieter on Mondays to Thursdays and after 4pm or first thing in the morning.

It opens at 7am (6am at weekends), so an early start is a good plan – but make sure you check the queue webcam first.

See also:
The free bus to the world’s biggest Ikea
Visitng the Icehotel on a budget

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