For decades, shoppers looking for genuine Scandinavian goods faced a frustrating choice: either become an expert themselves, or risk buying something "Scandinavian-looking" that lacked soul and story. That feeling of uncertainty, of being promised authenticity but receiving imitation, was the struggle. Our family saw this gap because we lived the alternative.
Our journey began long before ScandinavianShoppe.com, back in the 1960s with a chance encounter. My father, Gub, then a truck driver, spoke a few words of Swedish to Bill Wilkner during a delivery. That simple connection blossomed into a deep friendship that would redefine our family. Soon, a little 24-by-24-foot Swedish gift shop called The Brass & Copper Shop opened next to our Massachusetts home, filled with items my mother, Marion, sourced from Bill's import business. My sister and I literally grew up amidst straw Julbock goats and imported linens, learning the business by simply being in it.
This hands-on education deepened when Bill tragically passed away during a buying trip. Our parents stepped up, taking over Scandia Specialties and expanding it into a full-fledged wholesale operation. We moved from the small shop to warehouses, embracing the wholesale world while maintaining that direct connection to Scandinavian suppliers. We traveled extensively, not just picking products from catalogs, but building relationships with the designers and makers. This wasn't about simply finding things that looked Scandinavian; it was about understanding why the traditions behind them mattered.
Then, in 2010, after decades of brick-and-mortar retail and wholesale, a casual golf course conversation sparked a new direction. Gordon's friend, a self-taught website builder, suggested, "You and Kathi should build a website to sell your family's Scandia Specialties Imports." It was a revelation. We knew Scandinavian products, but the online world of item numbers, photos, and descriptions was entirely new territory. This ignited a passionate, 16-year commitment to continuous innovation. We’ve upgraded our website platform three times, refined operations, and integrated new technologies, always pushing to bridge the gap between authentic Scandinavian tradition and the online shopper. This continuous evolution means we've done the homework for you. You no longer need to be an expert; you can simply trust that every item on ScandinavianShoppe.com is genuinely Scandinavian and worth keeping.
What we carry
Goods from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and across northern Europe, alongside a collection of artisan pieces made here in the United States. Some of it is the traditional Scandinavian gift you would expect — wooden Dala horses, straw ornaments, tomtar and nisser. A good deal of it is what Scandinavians actually use at home: kitchen and tea towels, Swedish dishcloths, table linens, candles and candle holders.
We buy from the makers and importers behind the names — you can see the full list on our brands page — and we stock for the whole year rather than only for Jul and Christmas, though Christmas is certainly the busiest end of it.
Why the stories
Most of what we sell carries something behind it. The Dala horse was carved by soldiers quartered in Dalarna three hundred years ago. The straw goat delivered the presents before Father Christmas did. The tomte lives under the floor of the barn and will leave if you are careless with the animals.
We write those up in Scandinavian lore, and the recipes people ask us for — the almond cakes, the sandbakkels, the rosettes — are in recipes and more. If you are buying a gift for someone Scandinavian, the story is usually half of it.
Contacting us
There are real people here and we would rather hear from you than not.
Telephone: 774-473-9997
Email: customerservice@gks-ent.com
Or use our contact form.
ScandinavianShoppe.com, a division of GKS Enterprises, Inc.
175 West Main Street, Unit 11-3
Millbury, MA 01527
Our shipping and returns terms are set out in full, and if something is not right when it arrives, tell us.