‘Ecommerce in Sweden will be worth €5.36 billion in 2015’

Online sales of goods in Sweden increased by 16 percent during the third quarter of this year. It’s expected that ecommerce in Sweden will be worth 50 billion Swedish kronor, or 5.36 billion euros, in 2015. Now slightly more than every fifth purchase in the Nordic country happens online.

The E-barometer Q3 2015 [pdf] that’s issued by PostNord, in cooperation with Svensk Digital Handel and HUI Research, also shows that almost a quarter of all online sales in Sweden happens at foreign online stores.

DIY sector increasingly popular online
The strongest growth in the Swedish ecommerce during the third quarter was noticeable in the DIY sector, which increased by 39 percent compared to the same period last year. Sports articles and the food industry also showed an impressive growth, increasing by 36 and 35 percent respectively.

While the whole retail industry increased by 5.1 percent during the third quarter, ecommerce showed double-digit growth (16 percent). According to PostNord the developments in the retail sector are back on the same growth levels as before the financial crisis.

Increased competition from foreign online stores
The E-barometer shows that Swedes are planning to spend 2.36 billion euros on Christmas gifts online this year, which would be about 230 million euros more than what was spent last year. “The numbers are of course positive for the Swedish retail industry, but the fact more purchases are made online also means there’s a challenge consisting of increased competition from foreign online stores”, says Arne Andersson, ecommerce expert at PostNord. “The share of durable goods Swedes shop online from abroad is increasing again, as 23 percent of the value of all online purchases occurred at foreign websites during the third quarter.”