The e-commerce year 2025 has started weakly. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce's E-commerce Indicator estimates total e-commerce turnover in January at SEK 10.9 billion, a decrease of 6 percent compared to January 2024.
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Despite more consumers shopping online in January this year than last year – 67 percent compared to 66 percent – sales fell. The explanation is that e-commerce consumers on average shopped for lower amounts than before. The average purchase amount per consumer amounted to SEK 1,961, compared to SEK 2,130 in January 2024.
'The fact that e-commerce is starting the year weakly is a clear signal that many players are still having a tough time. In short, we see how consumers' purchasing power has not yet recovered. The economic uncertainty affects all trade, and e-commerce is unfortunately no exception. We hope to see more positive signals during the spring,' says Per Ljungberg, Innovation Manager at Swedish Commerce.
Home deliveries continue to increase – delivery locations are declining
Another trend in the report is changing delivery methods. Only 34 percent of e-commerce consumers chose to pick up their order at a delivery point in January, the lowest proportion since Svensk Handel's surveys began in 2020. Instead, home deliveries are increasing, both to the door/plot and to the mailbox/property box.
'We see a clear shift where consumers increasingly prefer to have their goods delivered directly to their homes. Changing customer behavior places new demands on the logistics industry and a key for trading companies is to offer both fast and sustainable delivery alternatives,' says Per Ljungberg.
An upturn in 2024 – but a weak start to 2025
Although January shows a negative trend, the full year 2024 was summed up with e-commerce growth of 11 percent. In the fourth quarter, sales increased by 12 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
January is traditionally one of the weakest e-commerce months of the year, but the fact that growth is now declining for the first time in six months shows that consumer restraint continues to characterise the market.
'Many e-commerce companies were hoping for a continued upturn at the start of the new year, but that did not happen. We of course hope that this is a slump. But unfortunately there are dark clouds in the sky. The recession we are still in, combined with the uncertain global situation, means that many continue to look anxiously at the immediate future,' says Per Ljungberg.
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