In early April of this year, the business expanded when a new store opened its doors on Södergatan in Malmö. At the end of May, another establishment is planned, this time on Götgatan in Stockholm. The company, which states in its press release that it currently operates eleven stores, now wants to change strategy to reach a wider audience.
Through franchising, the brand will be established in locations where the company currently has no presence. The goal is to find partners who can run the stores in the same spirit as its own units.
With the help of franchisees, we hope to reach customers even in medium-sized cities and I see, for example, Örebro, Västerås, Jönköping and Helsingborg as possible locations. Customers will not notice whether the stores are run by us or by a partner as we will be careful about how the concept is managed. Lakritsroten is by now a very well-tested and functioning concept so I know it will work well, says Erik Dahlén, who is titled CEO in the dispatch.
CEO Confusion and New Operating Model
The announcement that Erik Dahlén speaks as CEO, however, raises questions. According to previous information from Bolagsverket (the Swedish Companies Registration Office), he stepped down from the CEO position as early as December 2025.
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This was also confirmed in the company's recently released management report, where the company announced that in connection with a new strategy, it had chosen not to appoint a new CEO. Instead, an operationally responsible manager has been recruited to manage the day-to-day operations.
Currently, there is no CEO registered in the company, but despite this, Erik Dahlén appears with the title when the new franchise plans are presented.
Increased Sales but Pressured Profit
The new expansion strategy is being rolled out at a time when the company is increasing its sales, but struggling with margins. During the fiscal year 2025, revenue amounted to 80.3 million Swedish krona, an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year.
However, operating profit declined and landed at 1.5 million Swedish krona, which corresponds to a decrease of approximately 6 percent compared to last year's 1.6 million Swedish krona. The decline is linked to the general price level, where inflation has increased the company's operating costs and thus negatively affected the net margin.
The company is owned by Evanoff Group Aktiebolag with 51 percent and by Dahlén Event Aktiebolag with 49 percent.