Our activities

During the high season, Gekås Ullared employs more than 2,000 people in the department store, restaurants and accommodation. Together we are a large team that all strive towards the same goal – to exceed customer expectations and create the world’s best shopping experience.

The department store

In March 1963, Göran Karlsson opened the doors to Firma Ge-kås Manufaktur. From a small basement store with wholesale, Gekås Ullared has grown into a destination that combines the shopping experience with accommodation, restaurants, events and activities for the whole family. The department store is the engine of operations and today offers 150,000 unique items. For customers to be greeted by well-stocked shelves and attractive products, a large organization is required where purchasing, logistics, store operations and customer service work together in the best possible way.

Department store organization

The purchasing, logistics and department store operations departments are responsible for ensuring that products are purchased, transported and placed on the shelves in the department store. Gekås Ullared’s purchasing department makes all purchases via agents and importers, as well as via direct contact with suppliers. The purchasing organization is divided into three assortment areas: clothing, special and groceries. Each area has a manager with the title of assortment manager. The purchasing department employs 25 buyers and around twenty purchasing assistants. Operations in the department store are divided into four groups: clothing, special, groceries and customer service. The customer service department employs around 320 people, with tasks such as checkout, customer service, exchange of goods and reception.

Staff functions

In addition to all operations staff, Gekås Ullared has a number of departments that work across the board and serve the company’s operations in various ways. These include the IT department, the HR department, the marketing department, the finance department and also the purchasing department. They also include the warehousing and logistics, construction, and operations and maintenance departments.

Gekåsbyn & Hotel

When Gekås Ullared acquired the Ullared campsite in 2001, there was a strong focus on expanding and modernizing the facility. They saw an increased demand for accommodation close to shopping and a unique opportunity to give customers a good experience even after they left the department store. Today, Gekåsbyn has grown into a four-star facility that is one of Sweden’s most popular campsites. Gekås Ullared offers a wide range of accommodation options with everything from camping, cottage village, and parking lot to hotels and motels. We are constantly developing the range to meet demand and satisfy our broad target group of shoppers.

Organization of the accommodation facility

During the high season, 150 employees work to serve our overnight guests around the destination. The office with operations organization, administration and booking department is located in the middle of Gekåsbyn. The hotel with its 264 rooms, two restaurants, reception and conference facilities is our most shopping-friendly accommodation with only 250 meters to the department store.

Restaurants

The average shopping trip lasts around five hours. This means that thirst and hunger can get in the way of the shopping experience. In the fall of 2010, Kaffebaren opened on level 3, which was the start of Gekås Ullared’s restaurant operations in the department store. Today, Gekås Ullared operates a total of nine restaurants in and outside the department store and the range is constantly being developed to meet our visitors’ demand.

Organization of restaurants

During the high season, 320 employees work to serve our visitors everything from hotel breakfast, coffee and light lunch dishes to burgers, dinner buffets and modern home cooking.