Ecommerce in Sweden
Maybe you wouldn’t say so, but Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area. The country joined the European Union in 1995, but it has never used the euro. The Swedish people rejected the introduction of this coin in a 2003 referendum. Sweden has the eight-highest per capita income in the world and the country always ranks well on several lists about happiness, human development and democracy. Ecommerce in Sweden is widespread, thanks to a mail order tradition and strong retail brands.
Ecommerce customers in Sweden
According to data collected in 2013, Sweden has about 8.7 million internet users, which account for 94% of the total population. Almost three in four Swedish households with access to the internet have ordered something online in the last twelve months. Almost three in ten Swedes order something online at least once a month. Although ecommerce is widely distributed troughout the country, the most active ecommerce customers can be found in inland municipalities in the north of Sweden.
Swedish people used to like to pay their online-ordered goods via invoice. Four in ten Swedes preferred this method, according to research from 2010. The second most popular online payment method in Sweden was direct payment via personal bank, closely followed by paying with credit card. But a new survey (although commissioned by a global payments company) shows that 54 percent of Swedes prefer to pay online using their cards.
The ecommerce market in Sweden
In total Swedish consumers spent about €5.2 billion on products purchased online in 2015. For 2016, an increase of 16 percent is forecasted, which would mean ecommerce in Sweden will be worth 6.2 billion euros that year.
The most popular product categories in Swedish ecommerce are consumer electronics, books, clothing and footwear. Home furniture is also very popular, we’re wondering if IKEA has something to do with that?
Big online stores in Sweden
Some of the most popular and biggest online stores in Sweden are Halens.se, Nelly.com, Adlibris.com, Bokia.se, Cdon.com and NetOnNet.se. In June 2016, CupoNation published a list of the most visited online stores in Sweden.
Latest news about Sweden
80 percent of leading retailers in the Nordics have an ecommerce app and a mobile-optimized ecommerce website. Almost one in five retailers have focused on optimizing their website for mobile visitors, rather than focusing on an app. Only 1 percent has neither.
Visa will invest in Klarna, one of Europe’s fastest growing online payments companies. Today, the two companies announced they have the intention to develop a strategic partnership in the future. Visa and Klarna want to accelerate ecommerce and mcommerce for the benefit of consumers and retailers in Europe.
Klarna has been granted a full banking license by the Swedish financial supervisory authority Finansinspektionen. This means Klarna can operate as a bank, something it wanted for a long time. With a banking license, Klarna kan now broaden its product portfolio for customers and merchants.
The famous Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has plans to sell its products on websites of third-party retailers. The surprising move follows after Ikea has been targeting more online customers. The home furnishing retailer didn’t comment on which platforms could be used for selling the Klippan sofa and Billy bookcase.