Are you a Swedish ecommerce business looking to Finland for new customers? Online shopping in Finland shows no signs of slowing down.
Ecommerce in Finland has increased by over 20 % during the pandemic, making it a market area with awesome potential. A good place to start your Finnish expansion is by getting to know the local online shopper:
Finland has the reputation of being the odd cousin of the Nordics. It probably comes as no surprise that the Finn is not just your average run-of-the-mill online consumer either. We at Axla Logistics, however, know the ins and outs of the Finnish market. To get you started, we want to introduce you to the average Finnish customer. Here’s what makes them tick:
Finns trust their banks
While credit cards are the favored payment option internationally, Finns prefer online bank transfers, which make up a whopping 57 % of all payments. Invoices are also a popular payment method.
Why, you ask? According to J.P. Morgan’s insights, Finns lack some faith in online payment security. Though alternative payment options are slowly becoming more common, the Finnish fondness for online bank payments probably isn’t going away anytime soon:
When conquering the Finnish market, it’s a good idea to offer several payment options. This creates credibility in the eyes of the Finnish online shopper.
Many Finns live in the middle of nowhere
Did you know that there are 18.2 Finns per square kilometer? For a point of comparison, the population density of Sweden was 25.5 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2020. In other words, Finland is pretty sparsely populated.
What does this mean in practice? If your customer lives outside of the Helsinki area, last mile carriers might not deliver directly to their neighborhood. And whether the pick-up point for their package is 10 or 100 kilometers away really makes a difference, too.
Solution: you’ll want to provide many delivery options to choose from by partnering up with several last mile carriers. For example, we’ve partnered up with all the major carriers, so your Finnish customers can get their packages delivered just the way they like them.
Shipping costs can be “make it or break it”
Because distances in Finland are longer, it naturally also increases shipping costs for many. As a result, it’s important for Finnish consumers to have visibility into the total shipping cost of their orders. Affordable shipping is also something Finns look out for.
Make sure you’re upfront about shipping costs on your website when it comes to the Finnish market. Also, consider different ways you can bring shipping costs down and delight your Finnish customers. For example, over 60 % of Finns reported that they increased the price of their shopping cart in order to get their order over a specific sum for free shipping
Ready to set up shop in Finland?
If you’re looking for an ecommerce logistics partner who has a good grasp of the Finnish market, look no further. We at Axla know the Finnish consumer like the back of our hand. After all, we are ones too!
Our expert team can help you with all of your logistics needs – get in touch!
