Our history.
Our history The Swedish parent company, AS Pictura, was founded in 1969 by Erik Arpi. Initially, the business focused on importing and selling yarn and knitting patterns. Over time, the company began producing art reproductions, posters, and greeting cards. In the 1980s, Pictura phased out reproductions and posters to fully concentrate on greeting cards, gift wrap, and gift items. The first international subsidiary was established in Norway in 1975, soon followed by operations in Denmark and Germany. Today, there are eight subsidiaries, and Pictura's products are distributed in many countries worldwide. AS Pictura was established in Norway in 1975. Oslo was the original base, and in 1988 the company moved to its own premises in Rælingen, near Lillestrøm. In 1993, Muva Greetings AS was sold, leading to the formation of Muva Pictura AS. At that time, AS Pictura was a small niche company focusing on trendy cards, Christmas products, prints, and frames. Muva Greetings AS was a major industry player supplying organized assortments of greeting cards to bookstores and grocery stores across Norway. This combination proved highly successful. In 1999, Normanns Kunstforlag AS was acquired, allowing Pictura to position itself as a comprehensive supplier of greeting cards and photo-based products. In 2005, the company changed its name to Pictura Normann AS. Falk Nonfood was acquired in 2007 and became a subsidiary, adding a broad range of new product categories focused on household items. Our main competitor, Aune Forlag, was acquired in 2015, strengthening our position in the bookstore market and enabling us to combine Normanns and Aune's ranges of tourist products. In 2019, the subsidiaries Falk Nonfood and Aune Forlag were merged with the parent company Pictura Normann, and the name was changed to Pictura Gruppen Norge AS. In 2020, we also incorporated the bankruptcy estate of Scandecor into the company.