The State of E-Commerce in Sweden

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Sweden’s economy has a projected e-commerce value of US$ 11.75 million. A report done by retail research company RetailX forecasted that by the end of 2020, 100% of Sweden’s population will have access to an Internet connection, and 86% of Internet users in Sweden will be shopping online. 

By 2025, e-commerce user penetration in Sweden is expected to hit 81.8% – highlighting the growth potential of e-commerce in Sweden.

Notably, Sweden took a very different approach than its neighboring countries when it came to tackling COVID-19. The impact on the Swedish economy from April to June seemed to be less severe than the rest of Europe, where it saw an 8.6% contraction. 

With that in mind, we analyzed the State of E-commerce in Sweden, analyzing data from Dec 2019 to the first half of 2020. Here’s what we found insightful:

The average transit time for parcels was 2.1 days during the first half of 2020
Whilst Sweden took a different approach in handling the pandemic, it appears that the e-commerce logistics industry was similarly challenged by the global e-commerce boom and supply chain shocks. In June 2020, close to 50% of Swedish consumers were reportedly purchasing less in physical stores.

From our findings, it appears that the average transit time for Sweden was longer than other European countries like Germany at 1.3 days, Italy at 2 days, and the UK at 1.9 days. Carriers like PostNord have been affected as well – “All we can do is ask people to be a little bit more patient than they usually are, especially when it comes to deliveries from abroad,” said a spokesperson from PostNord.

“We are doing our best and our colleagues abroad are doing their best, but due to the circumstances there will be delays to and from Sweden – this virus is affecting all aspects of life.”

60% of parcels delivered to collection points are successfully picked up within 48h
The Public Health Agency in Sweden has also encouraged everyone to avoid crowding and opt for self-pickup at collection points or post offices. Logistics carriers like PostNord are similarly playing their part by putting out a statement that explains the guidelines on picking up and dropping parcels safely.

55% of international parcels were from Europe
Swedish consumers seem to have a preference for local brands; top e-commerce sites in Sweden are mainly local brands. However, with the introduction of international players like Zalando, Wish, and Amazon, we might see a shift towards cross-border shopping in Sweden in the near future. 

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