Hem CEO Petrus Palmér ends all discounts, shifts away from D2C model
Petrus Palmér, founder and CEO of the Swedish design brand Hem, announced he is eliminating all discounts, including Black Friday and seasonal sales, in favor of consistent pricing. The company, launched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer furniture brand known for collaborations with leading designers, now generates most of its revenue through trade and wholesale channels rather than direct sales.
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Palmér's stance runs counter to the retail industry's heavy reliance on discount cycles to drive consumer purchases, betting instead that brand consistency and trade relationships build longer-term value. His pivot away from D2C also signals a broader rethinking of the direct-to-consumer playbook that many startups embraced a decade ago but have since found unsustainable.
- Hem will no longer offer Black Friday, seasonal, or promotional discounts.
- The brand has moved from a D2C-first model to one driven mainly by trade and wholesale sales.
- Palmér positions Hem's strategy in contrast to mass-market competitors like Ikea.
Hem Alle Table — Hem's Alle Table is a great entry point into the cult Swedish brand Petrus Palmér built around designer collaborations rather than mass-market volume. Its clean, modular look fits dining rooms and workspaces alike, showing exactly the kind of considered design Hem is betting on instead of discount-driven furniture.
See Hem Alle Table on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-09-02
Published there as: “Petrus Palmér doesn’t want Hem to be the next Ikea”
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