Nordic consumers spend over SEK160bn online in 2015
Nordic consumers purchased goods online worth a total of SEK 161.6bn in 2015, an increase of around 15% over last year’s figure, according to research from PostNord. Purchases made from international sites during the year totalled SEK40bn in value, according to PostNord’s E-commerce in the Nordics 2016 report.
Around 40% of Nordic residents bought goods online from foreign websites last year. Norway recorded the highest percentage in this category (50 %), followed closely by Finland (49 %).
The most popular countries to buy from were the UK (36 %), Germany (25 %), the US (23 %), and China (23 %), while Sweden (13 %) was also popular.
“The domestic market’s relative maturity is what drives international commerce. The Swedish range has been good. Finland’s, Norway’s, and Denmark’s domestic alternatives haven’t been as good, which has made local consumers more eager to buy online from foreign retailers,” commented Arne Andersson, Nordic E-commerce Specialist at PostNord.
PostNord said that the highlighted both the similarities and differences between online shoppers in the Nordic region.
To give an example: the Danes have high expectations concerning fast deliveries and value the option to have goods delivered to their workplace, to a parcel machine, or to their home during daytime hours. Swedes and Norwegians, however, prefer to have parcels delivered to their home mailboxes, or to pick them up from partner outlets. Finnish consumers are the most patient among Nordic residents when it comes to delivery times, and prefer to pick their mail items up from partner outlets.
“Smooth, flexible deliveries make more people want to buy online more of the time. Recipients want to know when, where, and how their goods will be delivered. It’s also becoming more common for recipients to want the option to change the delivery address and time while the goods are in transit. Customized deliveries are becoming an increasingly important competitive advantage,” added Andersson.
A full copy of the report can be obtained at: http://pages.postnord.com/E-commerce-in-the-Nordics-2016.html
