SIBA (retailer)
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founder | Folke Bengtsson |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Fate | All remaining locations rebranded as NetOnNet stores |
| Headquarters | , Sweden |
Number of locations | 60 (2009) |
Area served |
|
| Parent | Net On Net Group |
SIBA AB (sometimes Siba or siba without capitalisation) was a large Swedish chain of home electronics retail stores. Siba was headquartered in Gothenburg. In 2009, there were 60 stores in Sweden, Denmark and in Norway.
History[edit]
SIBA was a success story that had its beginnings in 1951 at Herkulesgatan 7 on Hisingen. Net on Net Group (Siba's partner company) announced they would integrate Siba into Netonnet. Siba's official website now leads directly to NetOnNet's web shop, and all stores were either made into NetonNet stores or closed down.[1]
1950s[edit]
The year was 1951 – a time when there was only one radio station that mainly offered radio readings. Music on the radio was unusual. SIBA was then started by Folke Bengtsson. Besides radios and radiogrammofoner, they sold chandeliers from their own production.
1960s[edit]
Folke Bengtsson's son Bengt Bengtsson took over the business in 1961 and developed SIBA into a pure radio and television chain. SIBA grew with new stores opening in Gothenburg.
1970s[edit]
1974 SIBA opened Sweden's first department store for radio and TV in Backaplan in Gothenburg. The slogan "Lower rates – better service" was coined. People from Sweden and Norway flocked to Backaplan to buy consumer electronics.
1980s[edit]
SIBA expanded during the mid to late 80's with new stores being opened in western and southern Sweden. As one of the first consumer electronics chains, SIBA in 1989 included computers and telephony in its range of products.
1990s[edit]
SIBA's third business, Kitchen and Laundry, was introduced in 1994. In autumn 1997, the chain was acquired by Tandy's Computer City, with stores in Sweden and Denmark. SIBA is now the largest reseller of data and voice services to the consumer market.
In the late 1990s was the biggest SIBA expansion ever. New stores opened across the country, including a number of stores in the Stockholm area. The goal was clear: to become the leading player in consumer electronics in the Nordic region.
2000s[edit]
In the 2000s, SIBA continued its expansion in Sweden and Denmark. Additionally, SIBA opened its first store in Norway. Oslo's residents queued for several weeks to pick up a bargain home in the Group's first store, located in Furuseth.
2010s[edit]
SIBA has now consolidated its position as one of the leading Nordic chains for consumer electronics. SIBA in 2011 celebrated its 60th anniversary.
2014[edit]
Fabian Bengtsson ended his CEO career with the company and continued on the board of directors then took over the presidency from his father. He continued to play the main role in the company's television commercials. The new CEO, Susanne Ehnbåge, began her career at Siba as a business developer, and has since advanced to business developer, marketing manager and vice president.
2017[edit]
Siba's parent company Net On Net Group announced in 2016 that the Siba chain would be integrated into Net On Net. In 2017, all suitable stores had been converted and any remaining Siba stores had closed by the summer.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ "Siba stänger butiken för alltid". Hallandsposten (in Swedish). Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ SIBA blir NetOnNet Archived 2017-03-29 at the Wayback Machine. Netonnet kundservice. Läst 29 mars 2017.