In the report E-barometern we can read that the industries that continue to show stable growth levels online are the pharmacy trade and the clothing industry. The online pharmacy offers new services to expand such as online doctor visits, video consultation of the pharmacist and expansion of the range with the successful beauty segment.
For the clothing industry, the customer journey is evolving as many customers use apps and the web when they are in the store to check stock levels and research the range online. The digital and physical are increasingly woven together. Online, it is easier to provide details and more information about a product – an advantage of digital where several chains offer the possibility to scan QR codes or barcodes to read more about an item.
Sustainability in focus
The circular trade has received a boost when many people want to find used goods both from an economic perspective and from the sustainability aspect. One of the most downloaded apps in Sweden at the beginning of the year was Vinted, the second-hand platform.
Children's clothing is a category that is well suited where clothes rarely get worn out before they are outgrown. And even more exclusive and unique products for adults go well used. Polarn o. Pyret has had a second hand approach for a long time where members can hand in used clothes and receive compensation with value checks, something that Lindex also has with its Play it forward. Recently, MQ Marqet also started up second hand, which has been a sales success where they see great interest from customers.
Swedish e-commerce is flexible, relevant and available
When asked what consumers think are the strengths of Swedish e-commerce companies, they highlight:
- Flexible payment solutions.
- Relevant delivery options.
- Available customer service.
When consumers e-shop from abroad, it is mainly stated that it is to gain access to a larger selection, unique products and to find goods at a lower price than here in Sweden.
Think of products as content
Jacob Lovén from the podcast Den Digitala Draken, which examines China's tech scene, mentions some things we can learn from the fast trend-sensitive online companies in China in particular where he talks about three trends to watch out for:
- Super apps that can become a kind of operating system for daily life where you can manage, for example, financial transactions, book hairdresser visits or taxi trips or check into the hospital in the same app. In China, WeChat is used for many different tasks in everyday life.
- Efficiency before growth where you talk more about retention, keeping the customers you have, rather than finding new customers. China experienced this phenomenon a few years ago when companies got tired of paying Alibaba dearly to reach a consumer. Instead, more experiential e-commerce emerged instead of search-based, and Jacob now predicts that more companies will move towards discovery-based.
- The Saasification of the Internet and the world means that the barriers to starting and running e-commerce are getting smaller. The small ones will not be as big as the biggest ones, but the small e-tailers will be more.
It is becoming an increasingly complex competitive situation for Swedish retailers. Consumers are more price-oriented, international trade is increasing and there is a growing second-hand market where it is important to be able to best adapt to the new conditions.
