Åhlén's answer about the Chinese-made valley horses

In social media, many have reacted to the store chain Åhléns selling hand-sold dollar horses made in China to hang in the Christmas tree. Now Åhlén's PR and Communications Manager Weronica Nilsson responds to the criticism in an email to SVT Nyheter Dalarna (see the full answer below).

She writes that Åhléns protects the Swedish craft and the Swedish Dalah horse by offering it in different forms. She also writes that the reason for buying horses from China is partly a price issue and a capacity issue, where they feel that it is a challenge in Sweden to produce the quantities you want to buy.

But Christina Liljegren does not agree with Granna's Hemslöjd in Nusnäs, which is the oldest of the Swedish dala horse producers.

- We produce 100,000 dollar horses per year. If someone had asked the question we would have been able to answer. I would say it depends on anticipation. Nothing is impossible if you have the foresight, she says.

Liljegren believes that it is all about the price issue instead.

- Of course, they see that they cannot sell these ornaments if they cost what a real dal horse costs. We can never compete with China's prices, ”she says.