When brothers and cofounders Niklas and Mattis Oppermann opened Carl Friedrik’s Regent Street flagship last June, they had in mind what the first-year sales would be. By November, the store had exceeded those projections by 40%. Now, the premium travel goods brand is doubling down on London with a second location on Floral Street in Covent Garden, opening just in time for the busy festive shopping season.
The expansion signals more than just geographical growth. For a brand that started in 2013 with a small investment selling leather goods made from premium Italian Vachetta leather, the move reflects a strategic bet on physical retail at a time when many brands are retreating from brick-and-mortar. It’s a decision rooted in what has quietly enabled Carl Friedrik to achieve 60% year-on-year growth over the past four years without significant external funding: an almost obsessive focus on understanding exactly who their customer is.
“Honing in on product market fit and truly understanding our customer has been crucial to achieving strong organic growth,” Niklas Oppermann, CEO of Carl Friedrik, explains. “We carefully study our customer: their values, lifestyle, travel preferences, and so on. This has helped us laser-focus on a specific persona, in contrast to other brands that target a broader, more scattered demographic.”
It’s an approach that has shaped every turning point in the brand’s trajectory. The pivot from wholesale to direct-to-consumer in 2014 wasn’t just about taking control of profit margins — it gave the brothers direct access to consumer data and invaluable insights. The subsequent introduction of their luggage line in 2019 was another key moment for the brand, which saw Carl Friedrik’s revenue tripled in just four years. According to Nikolas, this all came from listening to what their community was asking for. Product development happens in close collaboration with customers, incorporating feedback throughout the design process.
The brand’s pieces stand out in the marketplace for travel bags and luggages — minimalistic, functional, and incredibly sleek and pleasing to the eye. And their retail space matches its design aesthetic. Where traditional luggage retailers pack shelves floor to ceiling, Carl Friedrik’s stores, designed by Studio Tuesday, embrace negative space. “The traditional luggage shopping experience involves packing shelves and the floor with as many products as possible,” says Niklas. “We do the opposite: provide an airy, gallery-esque experience, where customers can appreciate each item in a focused, singular manner.” Regent Street’s 1,296-square-foot space features warm timber shelving and a custom-designed table topped with natural vachetta leather — the signature material in their Heritage collection.
The Floral Street location, though more intimate, maintains the gallery aesthetic. “You don’t have to over-stimulate patrons with your entire offering,” Niklas notes. “Rather, we trust our knowledgeable staff to help them find the perfect product.” It’s a calculated decision. The Oppermanns saw proof of concept with Regent Street, and their data suggested vast untapped potential in London. Covent Garden, with its mix of independent boutiques and high-end fashion brands, felt like a natural fit for where the brand was born.
Since Regent Street opened, the UK has become Carl Friedrik’s fastest-growing region, with the physical presence driving not just in-store sales but online purchases and brand awareness — what Niklas describes as a “wider omnichannel impact.” UK online sales spiked alongside the store opening, reflecting the halo effect of physical retail.
The approach extends to product philosophy. Carl Friedrik doesn’t do seasonal collections. “We want customers to keep coming back to their Carl Friedrik pieces,” explains Niklas. “So our focus is designing timeless, versatile travel goods that fit into a capsule wardrobe and have the quality to withstand a lifetime’s worth of journeys.” Every piece carries a lifetime guarantee, a commitment that reduces waste associated with products replaced after every trip.
For a brand founded by two brothers who are themselves frequent travellers — Niklas is a self-proclaimed digital nomad currently living in LA, Mattis just outside of Barcelona — the emphasis on durability is personal. Every trip becomes an opportunity to test samples and provide feedback to the design team. “We feel well-versed in the pain points of travel, and fundamentally, this is what our products aim to address. Be it simplifying the packing experience with interior compression systems or fitting backpacks with leather loops to ensure they slot seamlessly onto your luggage trolley system.”
As for what’s next, the US remains their largest market, and New York shares many advantages with London. But for now, the focus is Covent Garden — and continuing to serve a customer they’ve spent over a decade learning to understand.