By opening a store every three weeks, this Danish beauty discount giant is shaking up the French market and confirming the growth of its economic model in the heart of our city centers.
Year after year, our streets change to the rhythm of a slow but profound revolution. It’s a historic perfumery that is closing its doors, replaced by a neon-lit boutique. It’s a neighborhood drugstore that is disappearing, unable to fight against cut prices. It’s a brand from Northern Europe that is setting up in place of our old supermarket. Before our eyes, the urban landscape is transforming according to our new consumption patterns. And in this great restructuring, a discount chain coming straight from Denmark plays the leading roles.
With a new store inaugurated every three weeks on average, this brand is rolling out an impressive expansion plan in France. Launched in 2013 in its country of origin, it set up shop in France in August 2019 and has never slowed down since. Bercy Village, Beaugrenelle, Montparnasse station, Italy 2, boulevard Saint-Michel, Passage du Havre… Parisians now encounter it on every street corner, and so do residents of medium-sized towns. In mid-April 2026, it even landed one of the most coveted addresses in the capital by opening its fourteenth Parisian boutique at the Forum des Halles, in the heart of Châtelet.
You have undoubtedly already spotted it, or even adopted it… It is of course Normal, the Danish brand specializing in discount beauty and hygiene. With this highly anticipated inauguration (seven years of negotiations!), the brand claims its 236th store in France and 980 points of sale in Europe spread across ten countries. A dazzling growth driven by an unstoppable recipe: more than 6,000 references from major brands like L’Oréal, Gillette, Colgate or Nivea, sold at fixed prices, often 20 to 30% cheaper than elsewhere. Shampoos, facial care, razors, detergents, candles, snacks, trendy cosmetics… You go in for a shower gel, you come out with a whole bag.
And the enthusiasm does not weaken. ” We wanted to open in Châtelet-Les Halles for a long time, but it ultimately took us seven years “, confided Sébastien Chirouze, France director of the group, in the columns of Le Parisien. The well-established concept relies on an Ikea-style signposted route, a neat atmosphere with background music, and above all a weekly restocking which transforms each visit into a real treasure hunt. Enough to retain a clientele addicted to good deals, like Josi, a regular at the Fontenay-sous-Bois store, who sums up: “Today I bought a facial, razors, wipes, shampoo and body cream, all for 15 euros.“
After large metropolises, Normal is now eyeing medium-sized towns and is ultimately aiming for between 500 and 1,000 stores in France. Suffice to say that the Danish brand has not finished shaking up our beauty habits.
