While luxury retail in Norway declined by 6 percent, Ferner Jacobsen increased online revenue by 28 percent

When the online store went live in autumn 2025, the luxury sector in Norway was having a tough season. Category revenue declined by 6 percent. For Ferner Jacobsen, however, the first months pointed in the opposite direction, with 28 percent growth in online revenue compared to the same period the year before.

These are the kind of numbers that make the board put down their coffee cups.

Ferner Jacobsen has been selling high-quality clothing from its stores since 1916. The tradition, quality, and service are all in place. But the digital infrastructure wasn’t keeping pace. There were many systems, scattered across the organization, with fragmented insights. Even making a simple change to the website required developer hours. The potential was obvious. Someone just had to do something about it.

Novacare and Northern Beat are both part of Nova Consulting Group, and their collaboration on this project is a good example of what that means in practice. Novacare took responsibility for technical architecture and project management. Northern Beat worked on concept, user journey, and the overall experience from idea to finished solution. Not two vendors running separate tracks, but one shared project with one shared goal.

The new solution is built on Omnium as the order management system, Astro as the frontend, and Sanity as the CMS, with Voyado Elevate for automated personalization. The systems now communicate with each other, the number of platforms has been reduced, and the team has a level of overview they never had before.

Online revenue increased by 28 percent compared to the same period the previous year. Luxury retail in Norway as a whole declined by 6 percent in the same period. Average order value increased, and cart abandonment dropped significantly after launch. The latter is one of the most important indicators that an online store actually works—that customers who start a purchase also complete it.

Ferner Fordel, the store’s loyalty program, also received a boost. Usability has improved, and it is now easier for customers to navigate points and benefits.

Customers shopping at fernerjakobsen.no rate the store 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on more than 4,600 reviews.

One of the biggest changes is something customers barely notice. The online store automatically adapts to each visitor, with product displays and recommendations based on customer data. No manual work, no campaign setup for each segment. It happens in the background, and it is one of the reasons both average order value and conversion rate have increased.

Numbers are one thing. But if you ask the people using the solution every day, the story is about something else: they can do their jobs.

The editorial team can publish and update content without waiting for a developer. Key metrics, order status, and inventory information are gathered in one place. And Ferner Edit, the store’s own editorial platform for guides and style inspiration, can be maintained and developed without technical limitations.

It’s about giving people the tools they need to do a good job. It’s an underrated success factor, but crucial for ensuring that a digital product actually lives on after launch.

It’s tempting to read this as a success story about a single client. It is—but it’s also about something bigger. Norwegian luxury retail is struggling with a digital lag. Many retailers have strong brands, loyal customers, and great products—but online stores that don’t reflect that. Cart abandonment, low average order value, and poor internal overview are not uncommon. And they are unnecessary.

Ferner Jacobsen has shown that it’s possible to fix this without losing what makes the brand what it is.

Northern Beat and Novacare are both part of Nova Consulting Group. Northern Beat works with strategy, concept, and digital user experience. Novacare delivers technical architecture, development, and project management.