Online pharmacy retail is the fastest-growing industry with an increase of 13 percent. This is followed by the furniture and home furnishings industry, which shows a development of 11 percent. Books and media, which had a negative full-year trend last year, are now also noting a change in trend and increasing by 6 percent.
This is a solid signal of strength and demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of Swedish e-commerce companies. For consumers, shopping online is a natural part of everyday life, says Ylva Staszewski, Head of Business Area Packages at PostNord Sverige.
Foreign Trade And Swedish Exports Increase
While nearly half, 48 percent, of Swedish consumers have shopped for goods from abroad in the past year, interest in Swedish e-commerce exports is also increasing. The report shows that a total of 60 percent of e-commerce companies today have sales to customers outside Sweden.
Exports and international marketplaces are becoming increasingly important for Swedish e-commerce companies. At the same time, local adaptation is crucial to succeed in new markets, comments Ylva Staszewski.
AI Gains More Space But Requires Transparency
The report also highlights the role that artificial intelligence has begun to take in e-commerce. AI is used, among other things, to generate images, which consumers are particularly positive about in industries such as furniture and clothing where visual representation plays an important function for decision-making.
However, acceptance varies between different product categories and 60 percent of consumers state that they want some form of labeling or certification for safe AI usage.
Acceptance of AI differs clearly between different product categories, making transparency and trust crucial. Six out of ten consumers would like to see some form of labeling or certification showing that AI is used in a safe and responsible manner in e-commerce, says Ylva Staszewski.