It all began in 2014 in the basement of a vintage store in the Majorna district of Gothenburg. Jonas Melin and Olof Norrman, who had met during their studies at the Textile School in Borås, set up a single sewing machine to offer repairs for broken jeans.
After two years with the repair shop, the founders had a clear realization: the garments that customers brought in for repair were far more interesting than what was actually available in Gothenburg's stores. They persuaded Swedish cult brand Indigofera to allow them to sell their garments and brought in craftsman Erik Davis, owner of the historic Haga Trätoffelfabrik (clog factory), as a partner to open their first real store.
Since 2018, the business has been located in a building from the late 1800s on Tredje Långgatan in Haga, from where they also run the growing e-commerce platform at Goteborgmanufaktur.se.
Doubled Turnover in Three Years
The recently approved annual report for the broken financial year ending in April 2026 shows that the narrow niche is paying off. Net turnover increased by 47 percent to SEK 8.3 million, up from SEK 5.6 million the previous year.
Over a three-year period, sales have more than doubled, from SEK 3.7 million during the 2022/2023 financial year. At the same time, operating profit also climbed by 47 percent, landing at SEK 641,000 compared to SEK 435,000 the previous year.
To meet demand, the company has also built up its inventory, which at the end of the financial year amounted to nearly SEK 2.8 million. In the management report, the trio shares their view on what is behind the growth:
Turnover has increased due to an increase in the customer base and a more stable stock of sought-after goods, combined with the fact that we are now a more established store with greater reach. A more pronounced range of sought-after brands and products.
Secured Dream Brand After Ten Years
An important catalyst behind the range improvement during the past year was when the store managed to secure the Japanese cult brand Iron Heart, a dream the founders had been chasing since the start after years of repairing customers' worn-out copies on the sewing machine.
In addition to Iron Heart, the range revolves around Japanese raw denim and traditional workwear from manufacturers such as Fullcount, Orslow and Warehouse & Co.
But the sewing machine that laid the foundation for the company still plays a central role in the business.
All customers who buy a pair of jeans at Göteborg Manufaktur, whether the purchase is made in the store on Tredje Långgatan or online, are offered free repairs for the entire life of the garment.
In addition to the lifetime warranty on repairs, the company also runs the circular initiative "Worn Not Wasted", where customers can submit their used jeans and sell them on commission.
Pre-orders Japanese Shipments
Since the business is based on small-scale craft producers with limited editions, the e-commerce retailer has also found its own way to meet the interest. On the website there is a constantly updated page called "Arriving Soon".
There, denim enthusiasts can in advance see exactly which rarities are being shipped from Japan in the coming weeks, and secure their copies by pre-ordering via email before the delivery has even landed in Gothenburg.