Sturegallerian is an institution in Stockholm and the position as Managing Director might feel like one where you can settle down and just work with what is. If you come from a big development like the department store PUB your view is probably different and you see all the opportunities that there is for change – at least if your name is Pernilla Karvia.

Pernilla has no other ambition than to profile Sturegallerian as Stockholm´s most exclusive center for shopping and this can only be done with some changes. Throughout the years since the opening a lot of changes have been made and not all of them have been positive for this specific profile. “At the moment it is a bit too much of everything and everything is not in line with the specific profile I want”, Pernilla explains.

Even though she has only held the position as Managing Director for Sturegallerian since midsummer you can tell that she has not had too many lazy days during the summer. The process of change that she wants to initiate is very interesting, not the least since it is long-term and well thought through. “The exclusive feel must be included in everything, from shopping to the restaurant visit and the customer service”, she says.

It is only a few blocks away from her old place of work but the difference is striking. “It really feels like an old cliché when talking about east and west of Sveavägen, but it is really true”, Pernilla says. “Sturegallerian is just not more established as a shopping center, it is also so much more than just that. It is also a place where you can just be and hang out, for example in Sturebadet (spa) or one of the restaurants”, she explains.

Something that becomes evident throughout the interview is also the strong collaboration that exists between the companies around Stureplan. “Stureplan is a place that lives 24/7 and that makes it really exciting”, Pernilla says.

To change you are in need of willing investors though. Not long ago Sturegallerian was bought by a company with its roots in the Middle East. With a slightly different perspective on exclusivity and luxury shopping this owner feels very right for initiating this specific process. “It is great with owners that are not only interested in maintaining the old but willing to invest and develop”, Pernilla says.

Exclusivity and luxury might have been around even in Stockholm but only “accepted” by a rather small group of people. This is something that Pernilla thinks is changing. “People that are in their thirties now have a different mentality from their parents. Their parents were around when times were tougher and learnt to live with that. This generation is much more willing to spend their money on things as well as services”.

Add to this an increased awareness of the environment and you get a movement that really challenges Swedes normal volume consumption. Instead of buying ten pairs of cheap jeans people buy one or two pairs that are more exclusive and have better quality. Quality when it comes to customer service is also something that is getting increasingly important and is high on the list of things to work on in Sturegallerian.

Exactly what shops Pernilla would like to see is obviously a sensitive question but also one that has to be asked. Pernilla won´t give a straight forward answer to that but hints enough so one realizes that big changes are to come the coming years.