A versatile Swede

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The entrepreneur runs his aquarium shop Akvarielagret (www.akvarielagret.se) in 300 m² premises. His store is probably unrivalled in Sweden when it comes to range, quality and expertise. Christer Fredriksson turned his hobby of breeding ornamental fish into a business back in 1983. He took on two employees straight away, for he was still pursuing his main occupation, and it was only in 1996 that he gave up his day job and devoted himself to the company full-time. Now the store has around 250 aquariums containing freshwater and marine fish, plus a complete range of accessories and foods. “My customers make a point of coming to me when searching for something new and special for their hobby,” Christer Fredriksson says.
Individuality is the keyFredriksson regularly buys rare and often hitherto unknown fish from up to 30 different suppliers and breeders. He supplements these purchases with his own trips to catch fish. Freshwater species account for around 90 per cent of the total quantity of fish sold, while only 10 per cent are marine species. The latter figure doesn’t really justify the amount spent on presentation, but it has a positive side-effect: “I don't earn any money from the sale of marine species,” says Christer Fredriksson, “but I can support the sale of equipment and food for marine aquariums with it, with outstanding profit margins.” Newcomers to fish-keeping, on the other hand, won’t find what they’re looking for at Akvarielagret: the store doesn't sell the so-called 60-litre starter sets and beginners’ tanks, because Christer Fredriksson won’t engage in the price war with discount stores, retail chains and DIY stores. Akvarielagret employs six people.The entrepreneur also satisfies his customers’ wishes for individual aquarium solutions with his own aquarium production business, a 500 m² unit where one of his employees turns out made-to-measure tanks. Approximately 100 t of glass is used annually for this. Christer Fredriksson started manufacturing tanks around seven years ago: “At the time I found that the industry wasn’t flexible enough to be able to accommodate my requests for special sizes,” he complains. “The average volume of the aquariums we produce is roughly 500 litres. Even fellow dealers in the speciality trade all over Sweden order tanks from me.”
Three businesses, one locationAs if an aquatics store and aquarium production were not enough, Christer Fredriksson has landed a further coup: in…