60 years of low prices

60 years of low prices

Biltema has been pushing down prices for 60 years. It all started in 1963 with a purchasing trip to Andorra in search of extra lights. This was the beginning of the possibility of offering quality at low prices.

The year is 1963. The Beatles release their first album and John F. Kennedy is the President of the United States. Biltema's founder, Sten-Åke Lindholm, asked himself, why are car parts and accessories so expensive?

It all started with a trip to Andorra in a beige Volvo Amazon Sport. Sten-Åke Lindholm discovered that extra lights cost 20 kronor there, compared to Sweden where the price was a whopping 72 kronor. He bought 50 extra lights and sold them quickly, and then decided to buy an additional 500.

In 1963, post-order sales of car accessories started in a simple catalog. The name came about by chance, "Tema" came from the dormant company Tema Byggdetaljer. After a while, he added the word "bil" to create a more descriptive name.

Sten-Åke rented a space in a demolition house in Linköping, and the timing was perfect. Mass motoring was just beginning, but car manufacturers had a monopoly on car parts and sold them at high prices. Sten-Åke purchased the same car parts from German suppliers for significantly lower prices, and was able to sell them at competitive prices, quickly building up a customer base.

Over time, Biltema has expanded at a faster pace and has now grown into a retail giant with 161 stores around the Nordics. Despite this growth, they have always held true to their original promise of quality at low prices, which has made them a beloved retailer for many customers.

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Celebrate with us! - Limited quantity, valid from March 20th to April 2nd, while supplies last.