Nordic consumers spend over SEK 160 billion online in 2015
Nordic consumers purchased goods online worth a total of SEK 161.6 billion in 2015, an increase of around 15 percent over last year’s figure. Purchases made from international sites during the year totaled SEK 40 billion in value. Forty percent 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 %), as revealed by PostNord’s E-commerce in the Nordics 2016 report.
In 2015, 40 percent of all Nordic residents bought goods online from international websites. 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,” says Arne Andersson, Nordic E-commerce Specialist at PostNord.
While there are many similarities between online shoppers in the Nordic region, there are also national differences. For example, 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 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,” explains Arne Andersson.
Just how Nordic consumers shop online differs from country to country. In Denmark and Norway, one in four consumers uses tablets to make purchases. In Sweden, one in five consumers uses their cell phone to shop online, whereas in Finland, e-commerce using mobile devices is significantly less common (tablet, 15 %; cell phone, 12 %).
Facts from the survey
You can order a copy of the full report here: http://pages.postnord.com/E-commerce-in-the-Nordics-2016.html
Percentage of people who shop online from abroad (average Q1-Q4)
Have you purchased goods online from abroad at any time during the past three months? By “abroad” is meant that you per- ceive the online store’s domicile to be outside of your country and/or that the delivery comes from another country. (Percentage who answered yes)
| Base: Have made purchases online during the quarter | Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Finland | Nordics | |||||
| Yes | 32 % | 36 % | 50 % | 49 % | 40 % |
Total e-commerce from abroad (total Q1-Q4)
Calculated based on the respondents in each country’s average response to the question “What total amount do you estimate that you have spent purchasing products online from international sites in the past three months? By ‘international sites’ is meant that you perceive the online store’s domicile to be outside of your country and/or that the delivery comes from another country.”
| Base: Have purchased goods online from abroad during the quarter | Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Finland | Nordics | |||||
| Total, national currency | SEK 12,000 m | DKK 6,029 m | NOK 11,406 m | EUR 861 m | - | |||||
| Total, EUR | EUR 1,270 m | EUR 808 m | EUR 1,287 m | EUR 861 m | EUR 4,226 m |
Nordic consumers’ favorite foreign countries to buy from online (average Q1-Q4)
From which foreign countries have you purchased goods online in the past three months? By “foreign country” is meant the country that you perceive to be the online store’s country of domicile. (Multiple answers possible)
| Base: Have purchased goods online from abroad during the quarter | Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Finland | Nordics | |||||
| United Kingdom | 34 % | 46 % | 38 % | 27 % | 36 % | |||||
| USA | 24 % | 18 % | 36 % | 15 % | 23 % | |||||
| Germany | 27 % | 30 % | 13 % | 31 % | 25 % | |||||
| China | 24 % | 18 % | 31 % | 20 % | 23 % | |||||
| Sweden | - | 13 % | 20 % | 19 % | 17 %* | |||||
| Denmark | 7 % | - | 13 % | 3 % | 7 %* | |||||
| Norway | 2 % | 1 % | - | 2 % | 2 %* | |||||
| Finland | 1 % | 0 % | 0 % | - | 1 %* |
*These weighted averages exclude the country in question and, as such, reflect the relevant percentage of consumers in the other Nordic countries.
Percentage of people who have shopped online using mobile devices (average Q1, Q2, Q4)
Which devices have you used to purchase goods online in the past three months? (Multiple answers possible)
| Base: Have made purchases online during the quarter | Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Finland | Nordics | |||||
| Cell phone | 21 % | 12 % | 16 % | 12 % | 16 % | |||||
| Tablet | 21 % | 25 % | 24 % | 15 % | 21 % |
Expectations concerning delivery time (Q1)
When you order a product online, what are your expectations concerning the delivery time; i.e. how many days are you willing to wait, at most, to receive your goods?
| Base: Have made purchases online during the quarter | Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Finland | Nordics | |||||
| One business day | 1 % | 2 % | 1 % | 1 % | 1 % | |||||
| Two business days | 12 % | 21 % | 7 % | 6 % | 12 % | |||||
| Three business days | 32 % | 36 % | 26 % | 20 % | 29 % | |||||
| Four business days | 13 % | 12 % | 19 % | 15 % | 14 % | |||||
| Five business days | 27 % | 14 % | 25 % | 32 % | 25 % | |||||
| Six business days or more | 8 % | 6 % | 13 % | 19 % | 11 % | |||||
| Unsure, don’t know | 7 % | 8 % | 10 % | 8 % | 8 % | |||||
| Average number of days | 3.9 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.9 |
Preferred delivery methods (Q1)
When you purchase a product online and have the opportunity to choose how it will be delivered, how do you generally prefer to receive it?
| Base: Have made purchases online during the quarter | Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Finland | Nordics | ||||||
| I want it delivered to my workplace | 2 % | 9 % | 4 % | 1 % | 4 % | ||||||
| I want it delivered to my home in the evening when it suits me, even if it costs extra | 3 % | 4 % | 4 % | 3 % | 3 % | ||||||
| I want it delivered to my home when I am at home during the day | 10 % | 19 % | 8 % | 11 % | 12 % | ||||||
| I want to collect it myself from the online store’s physical store or warehouse | 1 % | 1 % | 2 % | 3 % | 2 % | ||||||
| I want to collect it myself from my local partner outlet/service point | 48 % | 20 % | 52 % | 48 % | 43 % | ||||||
| I want it delivered to my mailbox by the mail carrier | 31 % | 9 % | 25 % | 14 % | 21 % | ||||||
| I want to collect it myself from a parcel machine that is open 24 hours | 2 % | 15 % | 2 % | 13 % | 7 % | ||||||
| I want it delivered to my address, e.g. left in my garage | - | 18 % | - | - | - | ||||||
| Unsure, don’t know | 3 % | 4 % | 4 % | 6 % | 4 % |
For further information, please contact
PostNord Media Relations, tel: 46 10 436 10 10, e-mail: press@postnord.com
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