However, domestic volumes have seen a slight decline, which the authority attributes to a weaker Swedish economy and increased competition from large international e-commerce players. At the same time, imports from countries outside Europe have decreased in favor of imports from the EU. This shift is partly explained by the fact that Asian e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein are increasingly establishing logistics solutions and warehouses within the European Union as an adaptation to stricter customs regulations.
Swedish e-commerce from Europe clearly contributes to the continued increase in package volumes. This shows how the Swedish parcel market is increasingly becoming part of European trade," says Joakim Levin, head of PTS's unit for postal issues.
Instabee dominates in parcel boxes
A clear trend in the market is how competition between logistics players is increasingly focused on different delivery methods. Delivery to service points remains the most common option and accounts for 46 percent of total e-commerce volume. Home deliveries account for 32 percent, while distribution via parcel boxes accounts for 21 percent of the market.
The report also highlights that the players' market positions differ significantly depending on the delivery channel. Parcel box distribution is highly concentrated, with Instabee handling up to 70 percent of the volumes, while Postnord has a very strong position in service point and home deliveries. Home delivery is the channel that shows the most even volume distribution between players, partly because it does not require an established network of physical service points.
Consumers today have more choice than before. You can choose between service points, home delivery and parcel boxes, and the delivery method has become an increasingly important competitive factor," explains Joakim Levin.
Postnord holds on tight to sparsely populated areas
Although competition is generally increasing and market concentration is generally decreasing over time, regional differences remain. In larger cities, competition for e-commerce packages is spread between several companies, while Postnord maintains a stronger position in sparsely populated areas and remote areas.
Another segment showing particularly strong growth is shipments between consumers, the so-called C2X market. This development is driven primarily by increased interest in secondhand trading and e-commerce returns. Within this specific segment, however, market concentration has increased, with Postnord taking the vast majority of the volume growth.
Overall, the statistics point to a market where established companies succeed in maintaining a strong position in terms of turnover, while smaller challengers primarily compete for volumes through lower prices.