Stockmann, Helsinki centre

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Stockmann Helsinki Centre is a landmark department store in central Helsinki and part of the Stockmann group. It is the largest department store in the Nordic countries by floor space and sales, and it carries many internationally known luxury brands. In 2017 it was the fifth largest department store in Europe, with about 50,000 square metres of space.

Stockmann opened as a general goods shop in 1862, founded by Heinrich Georg Franz Stockmann, near Market Square at Pohjoisesplanadi 5. The department store moved into a modern building in 1930, famous for the clock at the main entrance, known as Stockan kello, a popular meeting place.

The Stockmann logo shows escalators, though the first escalators in Finland were actually installed in Turku in 1926, not Helsinki.

In 1989, the Argos House was incorporated into the Stockmann block, though only its façade was preserved. The store expanded to fill the block bordered by Mannerheimintie, Aleksanterinkatu, Keskuskatu and Pohjoisesplanadi. It now has seven floors plus a basement, and an eighth floor that houses other businesses.

A major expansion took place from 2007 to 2010 under the project “Stockmann of All Time” (Alla tiders Stockmann), increasing the retail area by about 10,000 square metres to roughly 50,000 square metres in total. This work was done while the store remained open.

During the expansion, the atrium was enclosed, adding about 1,500 square metres of retail space on the sixth to eighth floors. The eighth floor added a food court seating about 950 people with views over the lower floors. About 200,000 cubic metres of rock were excavated underground, reaching depths of up to 30 metres.

The new three-storey car park tripled parking to 600 spaces and connects to Ruoholahdenkatu and to the Kalevankatu/Mannerheimintie junction. The grocery department was doubled to around 5,000 square metres. The total cost of the enlargement was about €198 million, plus further repairs. The expansion was expected to boost annual sales by about €50 million.