Growth in e-commerce sales due to COVID-19 in Finland 2020, by age group

According to a survey from March to April 2020, online shopping became more popular among all age groups in Finland because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Younger people aged between 18 and 34 years shopped more often online compared to other age groups, and almost 20 percent of them said that they increased online shopping significantly.

Online purchases of new products and services

Based on a consumer survey, 55 percent of Finns said that they purchased new products and services online during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For first-time e-shoppers, daily essentials such as clothing, groceries, restaurant meals, or hygiene and beauty products, were some of the most wanted goods. One-fifth of the respondents bought clothes and accessories online for the first time, and 14 percent of them bought groceries. Most Finnish consumers who shopped online because of the COVID-19 outbreak, stated that they will also continue doing so after the crisis. Indeed, customer retention rates were above 60 percent in almost all product categories.

Domestic vs. foreign webstores

In June 2020, about 25 percent of Finns estimated that they will favor domestic online stores after the COVID-19 pandemic or if the pandemic lasts long. Furthermore, one-third of consumers said that they will mostly use domestic online stores as before. However, many consumers simply preferred the most affordable option. Cheaper prices are the main motivator for most Finnish consumers to use foreign online stores, alongside with better product availability.