General Overview
With a population of 10.5 million, Sweden is one of the most connected societies in the world and tech-savvy consumers have achieved a high level of maturity when it comes to eCommerce. Swedish consumers appreciate the convenience of online shopping, flexibility of delivery options and simplicity of payment methods. According to Statista, Sweden had ca 7.3 million eCommerce users in 2024, a number that is expected to grow to ca 9.4 million by 2029.
After 18 years of steady growth in Sweden, eCommerce revenue declined in 2022-2023, according to Statista. The decline was likely due to global financial and geopolitical instability, as well as consumers returning to physical stores after two years of pandemic restrictions However, in 2024, eCommerce revenue increased by five percent, from USD 12.5 bn (SEK 133 bn) to USD 13.2 bn (SEK 140 bn), and revenue growth is expected to continue.
Top Products & Services
Statistics from Statista show that the top five product categories that generated eCommerce revenue in 2024 in Sweden were Home Electronics USD 2.6 bn (SEK 27.2 bn), Clothing & Footwear USD 1.9 bn (SEK 19.6 bn), Groceries USD 1.6 bn (SEK 17 bn), Pharmacy goods USD 1.4 bn (SEK 14.7 bn), and Home Decor & Furniture USD 0.7 bn (SEK 7.9 bn).
Transportation and travel services, both local public transport and for business and leisure travel, continue to grow, according to European PayTech Nexi’s 2024 eCommerce report. The same report notes that streaming services have declined, likely due to market maturity and saturation. Other services purchased regularly online include tickets (e.g. cultural and sporting events), membership services, online gaming, digital media and fees for advertising (e.g. eBay, Gumtree).
Key Market Demographics
Sweden’s population is roughly 10.7 million. The annual report published by The Swedish Internet Foundation states that 95% of the population uses the internet and daily. In the age group 16-64, 100% use the internet.
Statista states that 85-90% of Swedish men and women between the ages of 25-54 order online. In general women ordered more than men in all age groups between 16-74.
Legal and Regulatory Environment
Sweden is a member of the EU and therefore U.S. companies with an online presence offering/selling goods and services to Sweden must comply with EU regulations. The Digital Single Market Strategy, Electronic Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC) (e-Commerce Directive), the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other regulations pertaining to e-Commerce in the EU can be found on the EU Country Commercial Guide.
Sweden also has numerous laws that apply to companies, regardless of sales channels. The most relevant ones include but are not limited to contracts, consumer protection/sales (including distance/off premises) /marketing/price information, competition, employment, electronic communications, accounting and tax (including VAT), product safety, chemical product regulations, etc.
As laws affecting businesses are continuously updated, it is recommended that U.S. companies considering conducting online business in Sweden seek legal guidance.
Issues that U.S. companies could potentially face when selling to Sweden include, but are not limited to:
B2B: Swedish importers are legally responsible for the products they import to Sweden and will therefore only be interested in importing products that fulfill EU and Swedish regulations and requirements.
B2C: Swedish consumers purchasing goods valued at/above SEK 1.800 from non-EU websites are subject to tariffs. In addition, Swedish consumers are always obliged to pay Swedish VAT (usually 25%), which is generally not included in online purchases from outside the EU. Furthermore, an administrative fee is charged by the forwarding agent for levying of import customs clearance and VAT in advance of the consumer’s receipt of the package. While fees do not prevent eCommerce from the U.S, it will likely decrease demand for smaller ticket items. The added administrative step increases delivery times, a factor that is of high importance to the Swedish eConsumer.
Swedish postal company Postnord, one of many forwarding agents, provides information and current fees on their website.
Consumer Behavior
According to eBarometern 2024, an annual report published by the Nordic postal/logistics company Postnord, a new trend among Swedish consumers is that they prefer platforms and brands that allow for price comparisons. One continuing trend among Swedish consumers is purchasing via second-hand platforms (Sellpy, Vinted), another is purchasing from Chinese discount giants (Temu and Shein). Statista identifies the second-hand product categories most purchased online as Clothing & Shoes (55%), Furniture & home decor (11%), Home electronics (10%), Books & media (8%), and Sports and leisure products (6%).
Postnord provides 2024 data showing that nearly 61% of Swedes shop online monthly with another 27% once every week. A clear return policy plays a very important part in Swedish consumers’ choice of where to shop from.
Consumer Preferences
The online stores that enjoyed the highest eCommerce revenue in 2024 as reported by Statista, were online pharmacy Apotea (USD 544.5M), Chinese discount retailer Shein (USD 419.6M), grocery chain ICA (USD 417.3M), furniture retailer IEKA (USD 366.1M), fashion retailer Zalando (USD 337.7M), home electronics Elgiganten (USD 331.5M), pharmacy Apoteket (USD 329.1M), fast fashion retailer H&M (USD 328.2M), technology company Apple (USD 308.5M) and home electronics retailer NetOnNet (USD 257.4M). The top online marketplaces in Sweden by gross merchandise value were Amazon, Elgiganten, Zalando, Tradera, Åhléns, Temu, AliExpress, eBay, Sellpy and ASOS.
As outlined in Statista’s report, Swedes also purchase goods from foreign markets such as China (37%), Germany (27%), the UK (21%), the United States (21%) and Denmark (19%). The most popular international marketplaces in Sweden are Amazon (32%), Zalando (30%) and Temu (28%). The main motivations for buying abroad are the wider product range and lower prices, although challenges such as high shipping and customs fees, long delivery times, and difficult return processes continue to discourage more frequent purchases.
However, 41% do not make cross-border purchases for reasons such as being able to find everything they need in Sweden (41%), they don’t trust that the package will arrive (11%) or they don’t trust the seller (10%).
Platforms
The eCommerce software platforms with the largest market shares (Sept 2025) according to Statista are Shopify (31.44%), Wix Stores (16.19%), Other (12.48%), WooCommerce Checkout (10.62%), Squarespace Add to Cart (10.27%), and six others with market shares ranging between 2-6%.
Payment methods
As outlined in Nexi’s report, the most common payment methods used online are Nordic instant payment Swish (55%), credit and debit cards (49%) as well as PayPal (25%). The main reasons for choosing these methods is that they are simple, fast and secure.
Technology Adaptation
Swedes are considered early adopters of new technologies, and the country consistently ranks high for connectivity. There is a strong demand for new, disruptive technologies that improve productivity and connectivity. This includes digitalization solutions and services that lower production costs and improve efficiency, Among other fintech innovations. Sweden is also the origin of several banking/payment solutions such as Klarna, Swish, Trustly, and iZettle (now Zettle by PayPal),
In the annual report “Swedes and the internet”, the Swedish Internet Foundation identify some of the eServices that Swedish consumers use. These include e-identification through a mobile bank ID; activation of a digital ID-card with photo, as well as payment apps, tapping to pay (at a physical location), a digital wallet, the Nordic instant payment app Swish, and the digital mailbox Kivra, which continues to grow in use.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Sweden has an IPR regime that is strong and transparent and aligned with EU regulations. In 2016, a specialist court for IP was established as part of the Stockholm District Court. The Court handles all of Sweden’s IP, competition and marketing law cases. U.S. companies’ rights are well protected if registered properly in Sweden/EU.
While legal guidance should be sought, the following links may be helpful to U.S. exporters wishing to pursue the EU/Swedish market:
European Patent Office (EPO)
European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
Swedish Intellectual Property Office (PRV)
United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Digital Marketing & Social Media
Statista notes that most Swedes are active on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and YouTube. Popular among the younger Swedish audience is TikTok. The best platforms in Sweden for influencer/YouTube/streamer content are TikTok and Instagram, threatening Facebook as the most used platform.
Events
D-Congress (Gothenburg), annually in March.
Retail Technology (Stockholm), annually in May.
Stora eHandelsdagen (Stockholm), annually in October.
Nordic Retail Summit (Stockholm), annually in October.
Major online purchasing holidays
In Sweden, major purchasing periods include Black Week and Christmas.