A treasure hunt through Oslo's niche shops

Here are our suggestions for a shopping trip in Oslo's most unique shops. Fill your bags with extraordinary clothes, books and other items you wouldn't necessarily find at your local shopping centre.

Second-hand and vintage clothing

Fashionable as never before, vintage and second-hand are both trendy and sustainable! This is your chance to make a very good deal. You might find a comfy winter sweater to keep you warm, second-hand pieces of clothing that are as good as new, shoes and handbags from famous brands, or your new favourite item of clothing reminiscent of past trends.

Oslo, and Grünerløkka in particular, offers actual second-hand clothing as well as a wide variety of new pieces in a vintage style. Velouria Vintage, Manillusion, Frøken Dianas salonger and Robot, to name a few, are the perfect locations for your next vintage adventure.

Check out Fretex and Uff, two charity-based second-hand chains, to really go for a treasure hunt.

Norwegian fashion design

Although reuse is on everyone’s lips these days, we can still allow ourselves the occasional new item of clothing when needed.

What then, could be better than searching for the next addition to your wardrobe while also supporting local Norwegian designers and fashion businesses?

Many of these have sustainability as a main goal, such as JF Curated, who stand against “fast fashion”, Mette Møller, whose aim in production are good working conditions and preserving the environment, and Livid Jeans, combining Nordic design, Japanese finesse, quality and taking care of already produced garments.

When you choose Norwegian design, you also choose quality. Varsity Headwear was created based on the goal of making the perfect cap, and they offer models of all shapes and sizes. ENVELOPE1976 combines Norwegian design with sustainable materials, and F5 Concept Store carries brands and designers from Norway or with a Norwegian connection.  

Jewellery

Complete the look with unique pieces of jewellery and accessories! Treat yourself or someone you love to a piece of high-quality craftmanship. Donnas Jewellery Gallery create unique little works of art while maintaining a high level of knowledge and quality and Sugar Shop are a good place to start if you are looking to get some customised jewellery.

Museum shops

Museum shops are the perfect place to shop for fun and interesting things to do for the entire family. 

At the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, you'll can find quality Norwegian handicraft in the form of clothing, toys and other useful objects. Combine your shopping with a meal at Kafé Arkadia and a walk through the picturesque outdoor areas of the museum, filled with old houses and cottages!

Find exclusive and curated design at the Astrup Fearnley Museum and the Henie Onstad Art Centre.

Big fans of Edvard Munch will find Scream-merch and other Munch-related souvenir at MUNCH's museum shop. They also offer a wide selection of Munch-related books and exhibition catalogues. 

The perfect ending to your artistic shopping haul is in the Opera shop , with a free view of the sunset from the roof of the Opera included.

The Museum of Science and Technology have plenty of educational toys, games and books on display in their shop.

The Natural History Museum's shop has plenty to offer to those fascinated by nature, animals, plants, fossils and dinosaurs.

At the Historical Museum's shop, you will find Oslo's best selection of historical books as well as numerous board games, toys and excellent replicas of artifacts from ancient times. Travel to the Viking Ship Museum and the Norwegian Maritime Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula, to shop for Norwegian design and other wonderful merchandise perfect for seafarers and amateur vikings of all ages.

If you are one for the thought-provoking experience, the Nobel Peace Centre’s shop is filled with interesting books concerning past and recent Peace Prize laureates. They also offer a wide selection of useful, sustainable and fair-trade goods. 

Books and media

Interesting books can not only be found in the city’s museum shops, but also in its many niche bookshops! 

The independent and legendary bookshop Tronsmo is beloved by Osloites. It contains countless books of all kinds, including a dedicated LGBT+ section as well as a basement filled with comic books.  

For comic book enthusiasts, we can also recommend Outland, a must for all lovers of fantasy, manga and everything nerdy! Books, boardgames, legos and collectibles from your prefered fandom as far as the eye can see!

The musically inclined may want to visit the record stores Big Dipper and Tiger to leaf through their selection of vinyl records! If you are particularly fond of classical music, LAWO Store is the place for you, located right next to Oslo Concert Hall. Neseblod Records caters more to those with a passion for death metal, black metal, thrash, punk, rock, and hardcore. 

Home decor and design

Decorate your living room, home office and kitchen with nordic quality design and retro second hand furniture! 

Pur Norsk and Norway Design are known for offering the very best of Norwegian high-quality, world renowned for its minimalistic look.  

If you prefer more of a retro style, Antikkvarehuset is a 1000 square metre treasure trove filled with pieces of furniture and home decor items from essentially every decade, a place where you truly can lose track of time while searching for the newest addition to your living room. Go for a real retro-hunt through town by exploring second hand and retro shops such as Inventarium and Butikk Brocante. 

I jobb gift shop sells decorations and notebooks handmade with recycled materials - such as old wallpaper which otherwise would have been thrown away - by people dealing with addiction.