As more people adopt a digital-first lifestyle in the Nordic countries, ecommerce is evolving from periodic usage for convenience to a daily necessity for many people across Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark.
In fact, 86% of Nordic consumers shop online monthly, and several other pieces of data highlight just how much ecommerce is changing, growing, and evolving in the region.
A Huge Portion of Nordic Consumers Shop Online Monthly
A large majority of Nordic shoppers are making frequent purchases online. In fact, 86% of people in the region have shopped online at least once over the last 30 days. This is up from 84% in 2025 and 83% in 2024.
The results are relatively similar to, if not a little higher than, how many Europeans in general shop online. In fact, according to data, nearly 78% of people who use the internet in the European Union made at least one online purchase in 2025.
This high rate of online shopping also remains consistent across the different Nordic countries. For example, 88% of Swedish consumers have made a purchase online in the last 30 days, followed by 86% of Norwegian consumers, 85% of Danish consumers, and 84% of Finnish consumers.
As a result, there isn’t a single country holding up this high average. Instead, it’s a region-wide evolution where more and more people are turning to digital commerce for their purchases. These results are from a PostNord survey of 4,000 people aged 18 to 79, with an even 1,000 people from each country (Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark) participating.
While Western Europe still makes up the bulk of the ecommerce market in Europe, ecommerce demand is shifting, both to the North and the East. In fact, ecommerce growth in the northern part of Europe grew by 37% last year.
Many Nordic Shoppers Purchase From International Sellers
The report also contained several other data points that highlight the growth and trends inside the Nordic ecommerce industry. One of the most critical pieces of data is that 71% of Nordic consumers have made an online purchase from another country over the last year.
While these purchases come from a variety of countries, the most popular place to purchase from is China. In fact, 27% of respondents say that the country of origin of their last international online purchase is China. Many of these purchases likely come from platforms like Temu and Shein that have exploded in popularity recently.
It wouldn’t be surprising if China continues to be the most common country to purchase from, as DHL announced that the company is expanding its air freight capacity with new weekly trips between Europe and Asia.
However, unlike online purchases in general, the rate of cross-border ecommerce, and even which countries consumers buy from, varies widely across the Nordic nations. For example, in Sweden, 57% of consumers have shopped online internationally over the last year, with China (29%), Germany (14%), and the USA (11%) being the most common countries to shop from.
In Denmark, 80% of consumers shopped online internationally in the past year, with the most common countries to shop from being Germany (35%), Sweden (36%), and China (28%).
Norway saw 78% of consumers shop online internationally over the last year, with consumers shopping from Sweden (36%), China (32%), and Denmark (20%) most frequently.
Finally, in Finland, 80% of shoppers bought products online from other countries in the last year, with the most common countries to buy from including Sweden (37%), Germany (35%), and China (33%).
Second-Hand Online Shopping is Popular
Nordic consumers have also embraced circular commerce, as 33% of them have purchased second-hand items online during the last month. The most popular second-hand categories in the region include clothing, footwear, electronics, furniture, and books.
While Sweden is the country that buys second-hand items online the most frequently (38% of respondents), the other nations aren’t too far behind, with Finland at 31%, Norway at 29%, and Denmark at 28%.
Both the lower prices of these items, as well as the fact that buying second-hand is a more sustainable and eco-friendly option, are likely drivers behind how popular they’ve become throughout Nordic countries.
The Importance of the Online Checkout Experience
While there are several things ecommerce sellers can do to help improve conversions among Nordic shoppers, few are more important to consumers than a great checkout experience. For example, 57% of Swedish consumers say a smooth checkout experience is important when deciding where to shop online, compared to only 46% in 2025.
Similarly, in Denmark, the importance of a seamless checkout experience has grown from 49% in 2025 to 58% in 2026. This huge amount of growth in just a single year proves that Swedish and Danish shoppers alike are prioritizing a painless checkout experience.
In Finland, around half of online shoppers say that a transparent and flexible checkout experience influences where they shop, and in Norway, 57% of respondents said that a smooth checkout comes into play when deciding where to shop.
As a result, sellers already operating in the area, or those looking to start selling throughout the Nordic countries, need to prioritize the checkout experience and make sure it’s as smooth as possible.
Some ways to streamline the experience include not forcing people to create an account to check out, showing the full costs early in the process, using a one-click or one-page checkout, offering local payment options, and ensuring that the page is optimized for mobile devices, as that’s how many people shop online today.
