September proved to be another challenging month for Swedish e-commerce in terms of volume. According to the Swedish Trade Federation's E-commerce Indicator, total turnover reached SEK 13.4 billion, a decrease of 7 percent compared to the SEK 14.5 billion generated during the same month last year. Over the entire third quarter, e-commerce decreased by 3 percent.
However, behind these red figures lies a trend shift that is likely to bring smiles to the faces of many Swedish e-commerce companies. The sharp slowdown is largely due to the fact that Swedes are shopping significantly less from abroad. In September, only 17 percent of consumers stated that they had shopped from foreign actors, a clear decline from 22 percent in September last year. Even over the entire third quarter, the proportion of foreign purchases fell to 18 percent, compared to 22 percent last year.
The customs duty is hitting the Chinese giants
The explanation for the decline is the new customs duty on goods from countries outside the EU. After the industry organization had long warned that one in ten consumers shop from China and how it impacts Swedish companies, the announcement of stricter customs regulations, which the Swedish Trade Federation called a victory, finally came. Now it is clear that the measure has had its intended effect in practice, as foreign trade is decreasing sharply for the second month in a row.
There is no doubt that the customs duty continues to have its intended effect. Simply fewer purchases are being made from platforms like Temu and Shein, which is very welcome news for our member companies. But the fact that the proportion of people shopping from abroad is decreasing can also be a partial explanation for this month's results," says Per Ljungberg, Innovation Manager at the Swedish Trade Federation.
Continued plus for the full year ahead of the high season
Among Swedish consumers, a total of 69 percent in the ages of 18 to 89 years shopped online during September, which is only marginally lower than last year's figure of 70 percent. However, customers held a little tighter to their wallets. The average purchase amount per consumer fell to SEK 2,310, compared to SEK 2,492 in September 2025. Looking at the different industries, the furniture category best resisted the loss of customers during the month.
Despite the tough finish to the third quarter, Swedish e-commerce is still in the plus for the first nine months of the year. Accumulated from January to September, turnover has grown by 2 percent compared to 2025, with sports and leisure products having the strongest development while car, boat and motorcycle accessories have performed the weakest. The Swedish Trade Federation therefore sees a bright outlook for the coming months as the high season with Black Friday and Christmas shopping is just around the corner.
Another month with decreased turnover. But the situation is not bleak. On the contrary. For the full year, the development is still positive and we are approaching one of the most intense periods of the year for e-commerce. There is a lot to suggest a strong finish to the year," says Per Ljungberg.