AutoMat to replace Never Closed in Huskvarna

The unstaffed Never Closed grocery shop in Huskvarna, Sweden, has closed and is set to be replaced by AutoMat under a new franchisee. Local newspaper Jönköpings-Posten reported the news on 2 November 2026. The plan is to reopen before the end of the year, although no exact date has been set. Meanwhile, there are differing accounts of the reasons for the closure, as well as questions about equipment and parcels left on the premises.

New franchisee and new name on the same premises

Areesha Ausaf and Zeeshan Ahmad launched the unstaffed grocery shop venture in Huskvarna in early 2025. The business operated under the Never Closed franchise brand and became known for opening around the clock. The shop also offered parcel collection through Instabox.

Visitors are now greeted by a notice on the door announcing that the shop is closed. Both Areesha Ausaf and Never Closed chief executive George Fällemark confirmed the closure to Jönköpings-Posten. According to Fällemark, the business closed the week before the newspaper’s report was published.

The newspaper reports that the shop has been sold and that Never Closed will no longer occupy the premises. The next step is to reopen under the AutoMat name. This is therefore not an additional shop at a new address, but an existing retail space moving to a different franchise concept with a new franchisee.

“An incoming franchisee will turn it into an AutoMat shop instead. We own both concepts,” George Fällemark told Jönköpings-Posten.

Unstaffed retail model to continue after the change

Like Never Closed, AutoMat operates an unstaffed retail model. The planned change will therefore retain the basic operating format while replacing both the brand and the local franchisee.

For those following Sweden’s franchise market, that combination makes the announcement relevant: a change of franchisee is taking place alongside a switch between two concepts which, according to Fällemark, share the same ownership. The change affects both who will run the shop and the name customers will see.

Fällemark also says they already operate three other shops. In Huskvarna, the immediate task is to put up new signage. The intention is then to reopen the shop as soon as possible.

The announcement gives no further details about the future shop’s product range, opening hours or services. The fact that AutoMat is also unstaffed should therefore not be taken to mean that every aspect of the previous business will automatically carry over. Parcel collection, for example, is a separate issue during the transition.

Reopening planned for 2026

George Fällemark told Jönköpings-Posten that the shop would reopen before the end of the year. However, he would not specify how many weeks the transition would take.

“Absolutely. But I can’t say whether it will take two or four weeks before we open,” he said when asked whether the reopening would happen that year.

This is therefore a stated aim, rather than a confirmed opening date. The reference to two or four weeks should not be read as a confirmed timetable either. At the time of the newspaper’s report on 2 November, the business remained closed.

For customers, the distinction matters: the announcement means there is a plan to keep a grocery shop on the premises, not that the shop is already open for business. The next concrete update will come when the signage has been changed and an actual opening date can be announced.

Differing accounts of the closure

Behind the change of concept are also issues that the parties describe differently. Areesha Ausaf told Jönköpings-Posten that the closure stemmed from a dispute. George Fällemark described the situation as a misunderstanding. These accounts do not provide grounds for treating either description as the sole explanation.

According to the newspaper, equipment remains in the shop. Ausaf says it belongs to her company and that she is waiting to have it returned. She also says she does not know what will happen to customers’ parcels that have been delivered to Instabox and remain on the premises. Fällemark refers questions about any remaining parcels to the franchisor.

The questions about equipment and parcels should therefore be kept separate from the plan to open an AutoMat shop. Announcing a change of concept does not, in itself, explain how these issues will be handled.

Practical takeaway: Check for a confirmed opening date before visiting the shop. Anyone waiting for a parcel should seek specific information about collection, independently of the planned reopening.