Perfume shop in Swedish forest asks people to pay with their time instead of their kronor
Swedish perfume brand Koyia has opened a forest-based perfumery where customers can purchase fragrances using time instead of money. They're invited to spend 599 seconds of stillness in nature rather than 599 Swedish kronor: 599 SEC instead of 599 SEK.
Located deep in the Småland woods, the minimalist retail space designed by Lucas and Tyra Morten requires visitors to spend approximately 10 minutes in contemplative silence to complete their transaction, the exact duration research suggests it takes for nature's positive health benefits to begin manifesting. The product itself reflects this nature-first philosophy: Koyia's alcohol-free oil contains phytoncides, compounds released by evergreen trees that research shows can boost immune function, reduce cortisol levels and improve heart rate variability.
By positioning nature time as equivalent to Swedish kronor, the brand challenges the prioritization of GDP and profit margins over crucial human values like health, joy, awe and serenity. The concept essentially constructs a new form of value creation where the brand's worth isn't just derived from product sales, but from facilitating an experience that generates measurable personal benefits.
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Koyia is experimenting with new units of value. Instead of pegging worth to money (SEK), the brand is pegging it to time and attention. This reframing is powerful because it mirrors deeper cultural shifts:
1. From transaction to transformation
In the traditional model, worth is measured in cash flow. Here, worth is measured in personal change. Spending 599 seconds forest bathing not only buys a perfume, it delivers a moment of wellbeing and a story that enriches the object itself. The perfume becomes infused with the memory of the time spent acquiring it.
2. From buying to earning
Because the consumer must give something finite and deeply personal — their time — the perfume feels earned. This creates stronger attachment and loyalty than a simple purchase. In effect, the brand is making the customer work for the product, but in a way that feels rewarding rather than extractive.
3. Brand as arbiter of meaning
By setting an "exchange rate" (599 seconds = 599 SEK), Koyia positions itself as a cultural thought leader, not just a fragrance house. They're essentially saying: we decide what matters, and we believe time with nature is more precious than money. That stance is part product, part philosophy.
