Food and Drink Internet Retailing in Sweden

PROSPECTS

After slow start food and drink internet retailing set for dynamic growth

Grocery retailers had a rather limited presence within internet retailing over the review period. The category notably remained somewhat underdeveloped, with the major grocery retailers in Sweden being slow to respond to the development of pure food and drink internet retailers.

Click-and-collect services remain popular

Although home delivery is becoming more widespread click-and-collect services remain popular in Sweden. Consumers appreciate the convenience of being able to collect their shopping at a time convenient to themselves, while others are looking to avoid delivery costs.

Home delivery and other services driving growth of the channel

The end of the review period witnessed an increase in the number of services provided by food and drink internet retailers in Sweden. While offers such as food boxes and individual selections of grocery products had previously been split between pure and niche internet retailers, these services are now offered by the major grocery retailers.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Modern grocery retailing giants set to take over from niche players

After a slow start, the main grocery retailers now all operate e-commerce channels and are likely to see strong developments in this area over the forecast period with ICA, Coop and Axfood all signing agreements with tech firms to improve their online platforms. Over the review period it was largely niche players such as Carolinas Matkasse and MatHem which led the way in food and drink internet retailing, but these will pale into significance as the grocery retailing giants make headway.

ICA to invest SEK600 million in e-commerce

The big story in 2018 saw ICA sign an agreement with UK company Ocado to use its e-commerce platform, with it expected to transition to the new platform by 2021. This forms part of the retailer’s planned SEK600 million investment, which it expects will deliver a fully automated e-commerce solution by 2022.

Future of meal kits under the spotlight

Carolinas Matkasse AB remains a leading player in food and drink internet retailing with its concept of offering healthy and nutritious meal kits proving popular with consumers in the Nordic region, including Sweden. In 2018 Collector Bank signed an agreement with the company to become its new payment solution, which should improve its invoice management as well as improving the payment experience for consumers.

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