Outland AS
Outland AS is Norway's leading specialty retailer for pop culture merchandise, operating 11 physical stores and an e-commerce platform serving Norwegian consumers with board games, trading cards, manga, comics, RPGs, collectibles, and related products since 1992.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Outland AS does
Outland AS, founded in 1992 in Oslo, Norway, is a specialty retailer focused on pop culture and 'nerd culture' merchandise. The company operates 11 physical retail stores across major Norwegian cities (Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Bodø, Fredrikstad, Jessheim, Hamar, Porsgrunn, Tønsberg) and an online e-commerce platform (outland.no), positioning itself as Norway's leading retailer in this category. Its product catalog spans board games, trading card games (Pokémon TCG, Magic: The Gathering), manga, comics, role-playing games, miniature wargames, LEGO, books (fantasy, sci-fi), collectibles (Funko POP!, Pop Mart, action figures), apparel, K-Pop, specialty snacks, and puzzles, with prices ranging from under 100 kr to over 4,000 kr.
The business operates three primary revenue streams: direct-to-consumer retail merchandise sales through stores and e-commerce, a dedicated B2B portal (b2b.outland.no) serving businesses and associations, and a publishing imprint (Outland Forlag) that produces Norwegian-language editions of manga titles including Dragon Ball Super Norsk. The company runs the Outland Kundeklubb loyalty program (launched November 2022) with over 150,000 members, offering approximately 10% discounts, exclusive deals, and weekly newsletters. Logistics are handled via Posten and Bring with 1-3 business day delivery, and the company supports click-and-collect across all 11 stores.
Outland is a privately held Norwegian limited company (AS) founded by Simen, who grew it from a childhood-bedroom comic book hobby into a national chain. The company has cumulatively generated approximately 1 billion NOK in revenue since founding, employs over 200 people across stores and administration, holds no disclosed external institutional investment, and operates exclusively within Norway. The Langhus warehouse serves as the central distribution point, and the technology stack consists of standard e-commerce, payments (Vipps, Qliro, card), and customer support (Zendesk) integrations with no disclosed proprietary platform or AI capabilities.
Outland AS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outland AS
- Legal name
- Outland AS
- Website
- https://outland.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Outland AS is Norway's leading specialty retailer for pop culture merchandise, operating 11 physical stores and an e-commerce platform serving Norwegian consumers with board games, trading cards, manga, comics, RPGs, collectibles, and related products since 1992.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outland AS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Retail (Pop Culture)
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF), Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI), Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH)
Keywords
Where Outland AS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices12 records
Markets served
Outland AS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail merchandise sales: Revenue generated from selling physical merchandise including board games, trading card games, comics, manga, role-playing games, miniatures, collectibles, clothing, toys, books, snacks and food items through physical retail stores and an online e-commerce platform.
- Outland Forlag (Publishing): Outland operates its own publishing house (Outland Forlag), publishing Norwegian-language editions of manga titles including Dragon Ball Super Norsk.
- B2B / Business sales: Outland operates a B2B portal (b2b.outland.no) serving businesses and associations with merchandise and pop culture products.
- Membership / Loyalty program: Outland Kundeklubb loyalty program launched November 2022 with over 150,000 members. Members receive approximately 10% discount on products, access to exclusive deals (medlemskupp), monthly prize draws for movie tickets and discount codes, and weekly newsletters with recommendations and offers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for non-members |
| Subscription | Monthly | Outland Kundeklubb member pricing (10% discount) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Outland AS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outland AS operates Norway's leading pop culture and nerd culture specialty retail business, selling board games, trading card games, comics, manga, role-playing games, miniatures, LEGO, books, video games, collectibles, clothing, K-pop music, puzzles, and specialty snacks/food through 11 physical stores across Norway and an online e-commerce platform. The company also runs Outland Forlag, an in-house publishing imprint producing Norwegian-language editions of manga such as Dragon Ball Super Norsk, and operates the Outland Kundeklubb loyalty program with over 150,000 members.
Product overview
Outland AS operates a multi-category e-commerce platform and physical retail chain for pop culture merchandise in Norway. The core offering is the Outland online store and 11 brick-and-mortar locations, which together serve as Norway's leading retailer for nerd and pop culture enthusiasts. The product portfolio spans multiple distinct categories including board games, books (fantasy, sci-fi, manga), collectible card games, LEGO, manga (including Norwegian editions published by Outland Forlag), miniature/wargaming games, role-playing games, comics, video games, clothing, and general merchandise/collectibles. The ecosystem includes ancillary services: a loyalty program (Outland Kundeklubb), click-and-collect fulfillment, gift cards, and wishlists. The company also publishes Norwegian-language manga through Outland Forlag, notably Dragon Ball Super Norsk.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Outland forlag: Outland's own publishing imprint, publishing Norwegian translations of manga and other pop culture content including Dragon Ball Super Norsk.
Products and services
- Outland E-commerce Platform (outland.no)
Companies that use Outland AS
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Outland AS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Outland AS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Outland ForlagcoreOutland operates its own publishing house called Outland Forlag (Outland Publishing). This is an internal publishing operation that produces Norwegian-language editions of manga titles including Dragon Ball Super Norsk (Dragon Ball Super in Norwegian). This vertical integration allows Outland to control proprietary content in the Norwegian market and expand their product catalog with localized editions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Outland AS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Funko: Leading US pop culture collectibles manufacturer (Funko POP!, Soda, Vinyl figures) and operator of flagship retail stores. Adjacent ecosystem participant — Outland is a major Funko POP! retailer in Norway — rather than a direct store-level competitor.
Broad incumbents
- GameStop: Global video game and pop culture retailer combining physical stores with e-commerce, collectibles, and trading cards. Larger and broader incumbent that overlaps Outland on trading cards, video games, and collectibles but spans many more categories.
- Barnes & Noble: Largest US bookstore chain, also selling toys, games, collectibles, and pop culture merchandise. Broad incumbent with overlap to Outland on books (fantasy, sci-fi, manga), board games, and gift items, but a much wider general-merchandise footprint.
Direct peers
- Hot Topic: US mall-based pop culture specialty retailer selling apparel, accessories, collectibles, and licensed merchandise tied to fandom franchises. Comparable to Outland on customer demographic (fandom-driven Gen Z/millennial shoppers) and product mix in clothing and collectibles.
- Forbidden Planet: UK's largest specialty retailer of science fiction, fantasy, comics, manga, tabletop games, and pop culture merchandise, operating both physical stores and a large online storefront. Closest international analogue to Outland's category mix, customer base, and omnichannel model.
- Pop Mart: Global designer toy and blind-box collectibles retailer/manufacturer (Skullpanda, Nyota, Labubu). Direct overlap with Outland's blind box and collectibles category, where Outland currently retails Pop Mart SKUs (e.g., Skullpanda, Nyota) but Pop Mart operates its own D2C and stores globally.
- BoxLunch: US pop culture retailer (Hot Topic's sister brand) selling apparel, accessories, home goods, and collectibles tied to anime, gaming, and geek franchises. Highly comparable to Outland's collectibles, manga, and licensed merch assortment.
- The Works: UK high-street value retailer of books, toys, games, and hobby products including children's books, puzzles, and board games. Comparable specialty retailer with multi-category hobby and games focus, though positioned at lower price points than Outland.
Regional players
- CDON: Nordic online marketplace offering books, toys, games, and pop culture-adjacent products across Norway and Sweden. Regional e-commerce peer competing for the same Norwegian online discretionary spend, though not specialist in pop culture.
- Elkjøp Nordic: Nordic region's largest consumer electronics and home appliance retailer, also carrying video games, board games, and entertainment media. Regional peer operating in the same Norwegian geography with overlapping video games and games categories but a much broader non-specialist assortment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Outland AS social profiles
Digital presenceOutland AS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outland AS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Outland AS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Outland AS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outland AS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Outland AS
What does Outland AS do?
Outland AS operates Norway's leading pop culture and nerd culture specialty retail business, selling board games, trading card games, comics, manga, role-playing games, miniatures, LEGO, books, video games, collectibles, clothing, K-pop music, puzzles, and specialty snacks/food through 11 physical stores across Norway and an online e-commerce platform. The company also runs Outland Forlag, an in-house publishing imprint producing Norwegian-language editions of manga such as Dragon Ball Super Norsk, and operates the Outland Kundeklubb loyalty program with over 150,000 members.
Is Outland AS a public or private company?
Outland AS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Outland AS founded?
Outland AS was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Outland AS based?
Outland AS is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Outland AS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail merchandise sales are the primary driver. The others are outland Forlag (Publishing), B2B / Business sales and membership / Loyalty program.
Who are Outland AS's main competitors?
Funko is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are GameStop and Barnes & Noble. Direct peers are Hot Topic, Forbidden Planet, Pop Mart, BoxLunch and The Works. Regional players are CDON and Elkjøp Nordic.
Does Outland AS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outland AS.
What industry is Outland AS in?
Outland AS's product category is Specialty Retail (Pop Culture). Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALALAA, Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers, with a secondary code of CRALAAAF, Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.