Shopping street Skåne

Retail

The commercial capital of the Skåne region is Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city. Located 20 minutes from mainland Europe, Malmö is also the country’s most European city. With Copenhagen located right across the Öresund Bridge, the area is the most densely populated in Scandinavia, with access to 4 million consumers within 90 minutes.

Being the world’s 4th most international city, with citizens from 171 of the 193 UN member nations calling it home, has helped Malmö spawn vibrant retail, food, and art scenes. And their participants -- the city’s a young, diverse and highly educated population -- is growing.  Retail sales in Malmö were more than 2.3 billion EUR in 2018, while Skåne’s total sales were 7.7 billion EUR (HUI Research, Handeln i Sverige, 2019).

A hub for e-commerce startups

A country with one of the highest ranking internet speeds in the world, Sweden has the largest share of online consumers aged 18-29 of all the Nordic countries (E-Commerce in the Nordics, PostNord, 2019). Due to its strategic location for logistics, the Skåne region has become a hub for e-commerce startups, strengthened by the inauguration of E-commerce Park in 2015, an incubator and co-working space focusing solely on e-commerce businesses.

Born in Skåne

Many different and varying types of retail brands have originated in Skåne. From the young niche of streetwear couture, with brands like HI ON LIFE and Très bien (both founded in Malmö), to the more traditionally viewed as Swedish with furniture and interior design, in companies such as Gärsnäs and Höganäs Keramik. The region is also home to unique and innovative products; such as Hövding, the airbag helmet for cyclists; Happy Ears, the ear plugs that filter through the highest quality sound; and the baby carrier from Najell.

Advantages of Skåne

Advantages when choosing the Skåne region for establishments within the retail sector:

  • Two countries in one location The Öresund Bridge is the famous link between Malmö and Copenhagen, where people and goods flow freely and easily between Sweden and Denmark. Mutually beneficial for both cities, it is common for residents to travel between the countries daily for work, shopping, and entertainment. Danes spend approximately half a billion EUR in Skåne every year (Retail Guide Sweden, 2019/2020).
     
  • Frontrunner in adopting new technologies and ideas 70% of Swedish consumers shop online at least once a month and the country is leading the way in becoming a cashless society, with most shoppers preferring to use either a bank card or mobile payment system when making a purchase. Swedes are frontrunners in adopting new technologies and ideas, and it is common for international brands to use Sweden as a test market (E-barometern PostNord, 2019)
     
  • Demand for sustainable products and practices Sweden is one of the most sustainable countries in the world and 95% of Swedes think that the country will be affected by climate change in the future ( Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2018). 73% of Swedish consumers say that they take sustainability into consideration when purchasing goods or services, and the market is in demand for sustainable products, practices and innovations (Sustainable Brand Index 2018)

More about Retail in Skåne

two persons sitting at a staircase

The Retail Guide Sweden 2021/2022

In the latest edition of the Retail Guide, you will get an overview of Sweden and in particular Malmö and a clear outline of what makes it an excellent location for retail business.

Go to the Retail Guide 2021/2022
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Get in touch with us

If you are interested in learning more about available local business opportunities or need help finding the right location and premises for your retail business, Invest in Skåne can guide you through the region.

 

Investment Promotion

Jonathan Herrlin

Business Development Manager | Real Estate, Construction, Infrastructure & Energy

E-mail: jonathan.herrlin@skane.se

Phone: +46 40 675 34 66

Cell phone: +46 72 391 81 03

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Page updated 02 Jan 2023, at 10:09