Sweden

COVID-19 drove a significant increase in demand for ready meals packaging in 2020, with further strong growth seen in 2021. Spending more time at home than usual led to a spike in the retail volume sales of ready meals owing to the ease and…

COVID-19 boosted demand for sauces, dressings and condiments packaging during 2020, as it led to consumers spending more time at home and preparing and eating more meals there. This boosted demand for a number of pack types in this category. While…

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…

Sales of alcoholic drinks in Sweden failed to see any perceptible growth in volume terms in 2022, despite the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. While on-trade volumes continued to edge towards their pre-COVID-19 levels, as consumers returned…

Beer saw a fairly flat performance in volume terms in 2022, when compared to the previous year. While on-trade volumes continued to edge towards their pre-COVID-19 levels, thanks to the removal of pandemic-related restrictions, off-trade sales were…

Cider/perry saw marginal growth in total volume terms in 2022. Despite the removal of pandemic-related restrictions, which saw the revival of the on-trade channel, this had little impact on overall demand, due to the overwhelming importance of…

On-trade sales of RTDs saw a strong recovery in 2022, with volumes exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Growth was boosted by the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which encouraged more people return to bars and restaurants. RTDs are often enjoyed socially…

Following a two-year period of healthy volume growth, sales of spirits declined in 2022. This was attributable to the poor performance of the off-trade, as inflationary pressures forced many consumers to show more prudence with their spending.…

Wine in Sweden saw a disappointing performance in 2022, thanks to a moderate decline in off-trade volumes. Sales flourished during the first year of the pandemic, having benefitted from minimal international travel and cross-border trade across much…

Chocolate confectionery, as a product area, is set to see retail volume sales continue to normalise in 2023 following the surge seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, inflation and rising production costs had an impact on the development of unit…

Gum sales, primarily driven by impulse purchases, faced a significant setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With consumers spending more time at home, the need for gum as a quick oral cleaning solution diminished. As a result, gum sales struggled to…

Swedes have a high per capita consumption of ice cream and indulge in it throughout the year. However, sales tend to peak during the summer months, heavily influenced by the unpredictable Nordic summer weather. In 2022, ice cream sales declined due…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, snacking became a source of comfort for Swedes. In 2022, the volume sales of snacks evened out and declined slightly, while unit prices were impacted by inflation and rising production costs. However, snacking is…

In 2023, snacks, as a product area, is experiencing healthy growth in value terms, driven by increasing unit prices due to rising production costs and inflation. However, volume growth varies across different snacks categories as some continue to…

Sugar confectionery continues to experience a decline in volume sales, but the increasing unit prices due to inflation and production costs have helped maintain positive value sales growth. The competition from other snacks categories, particularly…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars, and fruit snacks, as a product area, experienced varying impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Snack bars and protein/energy bars suffered from declining sales as people stayed home instead of going to the gym. However, in…

Skin care packaging in Sweden continued to record positive growth in 2022 not just due to the demand for these products among the local population but also as a result of its emphasis on sustainable packaging materials, minimalist designs and a…

Sales of computers and peripherals saw a brief return to growth in 2020 as the pandemic forced a shift to homeworking; however, this positivity was short lived with sales declining in retail volume terms in 2021 and 2022 and continuing to decline in…

Sales of consumer electronics continue to decline in retail volume terms in 2023 with high inflation and economic uncertainty continuing to negatively impact sales. With many households facing a drop in disposable income and with interest rate rises…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 smartphones continue to decline in retail volume terms in 2023 with several factors weighing on demand. Firstly, this stagnation reflects the increasing maturity of the category with very few consumers still without a mobile phone, unless by…

Sales of portable players is recording growth in retail volume terms in 2023, but this being fuelled entirely by the growing demand for wireless speakers. E-readers continue to lose appeal while portable multimedia players have now largely…

There has been an increased focus on healthy tech that supports physical and mental health since the pandemic with many consumers keen to keep track of their fitness and health vitals. This continues to support demand for wearable electronics while…

In 2023, airlines in Sweden continue to see a rebound in passengers, as consumers place a higher importance on travel. Despite the relatively difficult economic climate, the volume of arrivals by air returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, air…

Despite the economic uncertainties in 2023, pent-up travel demand from the COVID-19 pandemic is driving bookings in Sweden. With both outbound and domestic travel on the rise, driven by elevated costs owing to general inflation, booking value…

Sweden's lodging (destination) category experienced a significant boom in 2022, as domestic and inbound travel surged following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Overnight stays and expenditure on lodgings has surpassed pre-pandemic levels,…

Inbound travel to Sweden has made a swift recovery in 2023, with the number of trips expected to return to pre-pandemic levels. The volume of trips made by foreign tourists was very modest in 2023, following the dynamic increases seen in 2022. All…

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on travel patterns in Sweden, with domestic tourism surging as the country faced travel restrictions and remaining strong even as its borders reopened. With all travel restrictions abolished in 2022, travel…

Unlike other European countries, Sweden did not impose major lockdown restrictions on households and businesses due to COVID-19, instead advising its citizens to observe social distancing measures, limit travel and avoid major gatherings in public…

Light vehicle sales declined in 2022 as pandemic-related issues and supply challenges persisted. The EV market is set to reach 82% of the total market by 2027. Sustainability incentives continue to dominate the mobility landscape, with further…

Baby food is facing challenges in Sweden, with the declining birth rate dampening retail volume sales. However, due to inflation and increasing production costs, baby food saw fast price rises in 2022 and continued to face growing prices at the…

As Swedes spent more time outside homes and ate out more, the elevated need for butter and spreads, as witnessed during the pandemic, was normalised. Nonetheless, while the demand declined, the unit prices increased due to inflation and growing…

Swedes consume cheese on many occasions during the day; for breakfast with sandwiches and using it in meals, while premium cheese is often indulged on and offered on cheese platters. As such, some cheeses are specifically positioned to be indulgent…

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, sales have continued to normalise, with Swedes ventured back to their workplaces, and eating out more often. However, the unit prices hikes seen in 2022, continued to grow in 2023, driven by the inflation and…

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,…

The unit prices in the other dairy category have experienced price hikes, due to inflation and increased production costs. In addition, sales have fallen back into the pre-pandemic area, as consumption habits normalised and Swedes ventured back into…

Plant-based dairy product selections have been expanded, as new trendy launches and focused marketing efforts boost sales. The cooking and eating-at-home trend is being met with new launches aligning with this rising trend, especially within…

The yoghurt and sour milk landscape is a mature one in Sweden. Inflation and increasing production costs hiked up the unit prices in 2022 and continued to do so at the beginning of 2023. Players reacted to the new demands as consumers began comparing…

Analgesics remained a key product area within consumer health in Sweden in 2023, having accounted for close to a quarter of overall OTC value sales. The most popular analgesics were those based on active ingredients acetaminophen or ibuprofen, with…

The Swedish market consumer health saw healthy growth in retail current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. However, this was driven mainly by inflationary pressures, rather than any real upturn in demand. While the rate…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies remained the largest product area within consumer health in Sweden in 2023. Following a two-year period of buoyant volume growth for most subcategories, demand weakened significantly in 2023, This was due…

Dermatologicals experienced a modest decline in overall constant value terms in 2023, although performance varied considerably according to subcategory. One notable development was the buoyant demand for antiparasitics/lice treatments, continuing the…

The health and wellness trend continued have a positive impact on sales on dietary supplements in 2023 as consumers focused on preventative health measures, rather than treating symptoms as they occurred. This trend was exacerbated by the COVID-19…

Retail sales of digestive remedies suffered a decline in constant value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than the previous year. Growth continued to be impacted by inflationary pressures, exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which…

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…

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.…