Finland

In the second quarter of this year, 78 percent of Nordic consumers placed an online order at a store from abroad. Compared to the same period last year, this is an increase of 4 percent. Cross-border shopping is associated with lower prices, for most consumers in the Nordic countries.

Online seller of sports nutrition supplements, THG Myprotein, has recently partnered with PostNord. By doing so, the retailer could add more flexible delivery options to its online store, which strengthened its position in the Nordics. It turns out that parcel lockers became a popular delivery option, when it is given enough visibility in the checkout process.

A large majority of consumers in the Nordics shop online regularly. In the 30 days leading up to the latest research, 83 percent of them said to have shopped online. Cross-border shopping is becoming more popular in the region.

Yesterday the eCom Summit & Awards event, which was organized by Digital Commerce Finland, took place. Prizes were awarded in 18 categories. Women’s fashion brand Nanso won the grand prize and was named Online Store of the Year.

At least 83 percent of Nordic consumers shop online monthly, according to a new report. Cross-border shopping is becoming more common in these countries. In the last twelve months, 76 percent of consumers in the Nordics purchased products abroad.

Starcart has secured funding to explore new markets in Europe. The Finnish startup offers an ecommerce platform powered by AI that is revolutionizing online shopping.

While other flash delivery companies are downsizing or merging, Wolt is expanding its coverage area. With its launch in Vienna and Reykjavik, the Finnish company is now active in 25 countries, almost all of them in Europe. Wolt delivers orders for both restaurants and retailers.

Logistics company PostNord Finland is rolling out an outdoor parcel locker network all over the country. The company will use SwipBox’s parcel lockers. Customers can use access the lockers 24/7 in convenient locations.

Finnish ecommerce startup Starcart has raised 1,4 million euros. With the capital, the company wants to strengthen operations in Finland. Additionally, the comparison service wants to expand across Europe.

Ecommerce aggregator eBrands has raised 30 million dollars (29 million euros) in a new funding round. The Finnish company will use the funds for increased acquisition and international expansion. To date, eBrands has raised close to 50 million euros.

Finnish consumers rate ecommerce the least eco-friendly industry compared to the rest of Northern Europe, while Danish customers are the most critical about sustainability. Moreover, Finn.no, Matsmart, Aarstiderne, Tori.fi and Bol.com are voted most sustainable online retailers.

Finnish social shopping app Blidz has raised 6 million euros in Seed funding. The company will use the funding to accelerate its growth in Western markets. Additionally, the funding will be used to expand the product suite and supply chain.

According to new European rules, customers have a product guarantee up to 2 years. When the product breaks, retailers are not allowed to ask for a usage fee. But with longer guarantee periods in Finland and the Netherlands, this can cause problems for online merchants.

The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden were very early adopters of the internet and have a highly developed digital infrastructure. Online shopping is very common in the Nordics, yet research reveals that there is still growth potential in this region.

Fruugo, an online marketplace that's originally from Finland, is said to be planning to launch an initial public offering (IPO). The UK-based ecommerce platform should go public as soon as this fall.