Sweden

Consistent with observations across consumer appliances, sales volumes for large cooking appliances fell in 2023 as they normalised in the wake of a boost in demand during the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic led to a spike in sales in 2020 and 2021,…

Overall, off-trade volume sales of juice dropped during 2023. This category is mature and packaged juice is not considered to be amongst the healthiest drinks. Reconstituted 100% juice and juice drinks (up to 24% juice) were most negatively affected,…

Retail sales of jewellery continued to expand in current value terms in 2023, although the rate of growth was slower than the previous year. Following the resurgence of family events, such as weddings, in 2022, following enforced delays due to the…

Jeans is predicted to register a decrease in retail volume terms in 2023, with current retail value remaining positive due to inflation and rising unit prices. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, jeans struggled with retail volume growth, with…

Sales of in-car entertainment continue to record a steep decline in 2023 with these products increasingly losing relevance in Sweden. New vehicles are introducing ever more advanced built-in entertainment, while for many consumers their smartphones…

Sales of imaging devices are seeing a sharp decline in retail volume terms in 2023 as the category continues to lose its appeal. Consumers are increasingly satisfied with the growing sophistication of the imaging capabilities of smartphones and thus…

Ice cream is set to see current value growth in Sweden in 2024. Swedes are big ice cream lovers, consuming around 10 litres per capita annually. Ice cream is a notable feature of the Swedish lifestyle during good summer weather, while also being…

Like other types of grocery retailers, hypermarkets in Sweden were impacted directly by historically high inflation, which reached high single-digit rates in 2022 and 2023. As a result, consumers became more price-sensitive and they started to look…

Plant-based meat and seafood substitutes enjoyed strong growth in current value terms in 2022 with the category continuing to benefit from the rising number of vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers in Sweden. Consumers are looking to eat…

The shift from traditional or sugary alternatives, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, to low/no sugar variants, like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Light, and Pepsi Max, is not a new trend, but it is the longest standing health trend in soft drinks. This…

Swedes love their snacks with high levels of per capita consumption for most categories but demand for healthier options remains comparatively quite low. Unlike most packaged food categories where consumers are opting for healthier alternatives of…

The lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with the economic fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to skyrocketing unit prices as Sweden experienced spiralling rates of inflation. This led to a drop in disposable income which in…

Plant-based dairy, primarily oat-based, remained the most popular category in health and wellness dairy products and alternatives in Sweden in 2022. The category was notably boosted by the pandemic which led to consumers paying more attention to…

Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based alternatives saw a boom in popularity in several packaged food categories towards the end of the review period with ready meals being no exception. There is a strong demand for healthier food alternatives in Sweden,…

Flexible packaging continued to dominate hot drinks packaging unit volumes in 2023. Flexible packaging provides industry players with scope to experiment with their packaging design, and also offers affordability, durability and convenience. Leading…

Over 2023, retail volume sales of hot drinks are projected to grow moderately, following a strong drop in 2022. Coffee was especially negatively affected in 2022 due to unit price increases. As prices were more stable in 2023, demand rose. Retail…

Hosiery is set to display a retail volume decline in 2023, in line with overall apparel and footwear. The landscape experienced an upswing in performance with the return of in-store shopping following the COVID-19; however, the cost-of-living crisis,…

In 2023, the homewares category in Sweden faced significant challenges as consumers delayed purchases due to the rising cost of living, driven by inflation, higher interest rates, and increased energy and food prices. Consequently, the category…

It has been a mixed few years for sales of televisions in Sweden. There was a huge spike in sales of LCD and OLED TVs in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19 as consumers went into self-enforced isolation. This home seclusion encouraged many…

Home products specialists in Sweden were impacted by the lowered rates of new construction, which started to decrease in 2022. In 2023, the rate of new construction reached its lowest point since 2011, with only 25,500 new houses starting…

Home laundry appliances saw a decrease in retail sales volumes in 2023, representing something of a return to normalised sales levels following the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, which brought forward volume sales in 2020 and 2021. However, the fall…

In 2023, home insecticides in Sweden experienced a notable trend of higher retail price points. This upward shift in prices can be primarily ascribed to the escalating costs incurred by both manufacturers and retailers in the production and…

In 2023, the home improvement category in Sweden witnessed a notable decline, primarily attributed to the crash in the real estate market. With dwindling property demand and reduced construction activity amid an ailing economy, the housing sector…

In 2023, the global surge in demand for LED lamps was propelled by multiple factors, creating a cohesive narrative of growth and opportunity. Initially, the momentum stemmed from the renowned energy efficiency of these products, a trait highly…

Dishwashing was the second biggest category in Swedish home care in packaging unit volume terms in 2022, behind only laundry care. In the early part of the year, the Swedish government was recommending people work from home where possible as a…

The retail value of home care experienced growth in 2023, primarily driven by increasing retail price points. Conversely, when examining retail volume, home care witnessed a decline in sales throughout the year.

Sales of home audio and cinema are in long-term decline and they continue to fall in 2023, with further declines expected over the forecast period. Most home audio and cinema products have long been considered redundant by most consumers and are…

In 2023, the home and garden market in Sweden experienced a decline due to a decrease in consumer confidence. This, coupled with rising inflation and interest rates, contributed to a negative economic outlook. This downturn led to a reduction in the…

Herbal/traditional products accounted for around one sixth of overall consumer health value in Sweden in 2023,. During 2022 and 2023, the high rate of inflation resulted in increased manufacturing and distribution, which placed pressure on margins.…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

Pharmacy chains Apotek Hjärtat (ICA Sverige) and Apoteket (Apoteket AB) continued to lead health and beauty specialists in Sweden, accounting for slightly more than one half of retail value shares in 2023. Kronans Apotek (Oriola AB) was the only…

When it comes to headphones there continues to be a growing shift to wireless headbands and TWS earbuds with both categories continuing to enjoy healthy growth in retail volume terms in 2023. TWS earbuds remains the largest category with consumers…

Hair care in Sweden continues to see positive volume growth, with value further boosted by inflation and a modest premiumisation trend. Unlike other beauty and personal care categories like fragrances and skin care, hair care has not witnessed a…

Gum is set to see current value growth in Sweden in 2024. The competition in chewing gum in Sweden is strong and the category faces maturity. In order to drive sales, players must pay attention to delivering value-added benefits. It is noteworthy…

Within general merchandise stores in Sweden, similar to discounters in grocery retailers, variety stores’ positioning engendered robustness despite the difficult and unpredictable geopolitical and economic times. The main focus of the key players in…

In 2023, the gardening category in Sweden experienced declining growth across categories such as fertilisers, gardening equipment, and watering products. This downturn was primarily driven by consumers postponing purchases due to the rising cost of…

Full-service restaurants continued to see positive value growth in 2023, with inflation driving price increases. With the economy slowing and moving into recession in 2023, local consumers have cut back on unnecessary expenditure, including eating…

A powerful current of premiumisation is sweeping fragrances in Sweden. Consumers are increasingly drawn to niche or artisanal scents, seeking individuality and exclusivity. These unique olfactory experiences offer a way to stand out from the crowd.…

Similar to apparel, footwear is projected to exhibit a decline in retail volume growth in 2023, with retail value sales remaining positive, primarily attributed to inflation and rising unit prices. The sector faced a steeper decline than apparel…

Food preparation appliances experienced a strong decline in volume sales in 2023. After the COVID-19 crisis, households shifted their spending priorities away from food preparation appliances towards activities that had been largely curtailed by the…

Retail current value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 19% in 2023 to total SEK2.6 billion, boosted by consumers’ desire to enjoy themselves after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Socialising is a priority for many consumers,…

The two pandemic years boosted the use of financial cards in Sweden. While the use of cash in the country was already exceptionally low by global standards at the start of the review period, its role diminished further during the pandemic due to…

Eyewear in Sweden continues to display a robust performance in 2024, buoyed by an ageing population and increasing time spent on digital screens, which are both boosting the need for more specialist or value-added eyewear products. The rising…

Retail volume sales of eye care products continued to expand in 2023, albeit to a lesser extent than the previous two years. The return of pre-pandemic lifestyles, including the revival of international travel, gave rise to a growing incidence of…

Despite macroeconomic adversity on a global scale, tourism in 2023 was on the rise, with a growing number of visitors taking their holidays in Sweden. The number of foreign tourists in Sweden increased significantly in spring. In the big cities, it…

Energy drinks is projected to post the fastest off-trade volume growth in Sweden in 2023, slightly faster than the increase for RTD coffee. Both regular and, especially, reduced sugar energy drinks enjoyed healthy increases in demand during the year.…

Edible oils registered negative volume growth during 2023 as high inflation and the normalisation of sales trends during the post-pandemic era contributed to a significant slowdown in demand. After very positive retail volume growth was recorded in…

Drinking milk products in Sweden witness relative stability in 2023. Nonetheless, cow's milk consumption continues to drop as plant-based milks, new launches, and strong marketing allure consumers away. In addition, Swedes are often eating out,…

In 2024, dog food in Sweden is recording positive growth, with the humanisation trend driving sales of dog treats and mixers. As pet owners increasingly view their furry companions as integral parts of their families, they seek out treats and mixers…

Significant strides have been made in incremental efficacy improvements to alleviate household chores. A notable example is the hand dishwashing brand, Yes Max Power, which claims to require four times less scrubbing on tough grease compared to its…