Entering the Nordic market: 10 essential steps for webshops

Written by Max Riis Christensen

Expanding into the Nordic region, comprising Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, can be a lucrative opportunity for web shops. 

With 24 million educated and digitally savvy individuals and high-income levels, it's a region worth considering. However, there are important differences to understand if you want to approach the region as a unified market. 

In this blog post, we will explore these differences and provide a checklist of 10 essential steps to take before entering the Nordic market.

Legislation

The consumer protection and marketing legislation across the Nordic countries share a similar mindset. While localised terms and conditions are necessary, many processes and business terms can be standardised with a few adjustments.

Payment methods

By carefully selecting suitable payment methods, such as credit cards, invoices, and direct banking, webshops can cater to online shoppers in all Nordic countries. Optional additions include Dankort for Denmark and direct banking for Sweden, which can be implemented at a later stage.

Logistics

Several distributors offer comprehensive solutions covering all Nordic countries. Choosing the right distributor allows web shops to provide a seamless experience across the region. Note that shipping to Norway, a non-EU country, requires a local branch for customs clearance, but the access to this attractive market justifies the extra effort.

Return handling

Utilising a dedicated return service in each country ensures fast and seamless return processes, a critical factor for customers when choosing web shops. Returns are efficiently registered and bulk shipped to the web shop's warehouse upon request.

Language

In the Nordic countries, four different languages are spoken and written, with English being widely understood. Product texts can be in English or Danish (in Norway and Sweden), except for Finland, where texts should be in Finnish or English. Translating all texts, except product descriptions, to the local language before launch is recommended.

Customer service

Establishing local customer service with native speakers and displaying local phone numbers and addresses on the website builds trust and fosters customer relationships. MakesYouLocal offers a web shop management solution with skilled e-commerce professionals covering all four countries.

Marketing

Marketplaces like Amazon, Allegro, and eBay do not play a dominant role in the Nordic countries. Therefore, having your own webshop and implementing an online marketing strategy across the region is crucial. A streamlined approach using 1-3 channels can be replicated in all four countries to reduce administrative costs, as the marketing environment is similar.

Acquiring local knowledge from each country is essential. At MakesYouLocal, we have a lot of experience and expertise in international e-commerce. We specialise in providing comprehensive support to help webshops navigate the Nordic market effectively and efficiently.

Below is our list of 10 essential things to remember if you want to treat the Nordics as a unified market. To approach the Nordic region as a unified market, we consider the below list essential if you want to succeed.

10 Essentials

1. Add invoice payment methods like Klarna.
2. Include direct banking for Finland.
3. Establish a duty handling setup for Norway.
4. Find a logistics solution, including returns, that meets customer requirements.
5. Create localised terms and conditions for each country.
6. Translate web shop texts and communicate compliance with local legislation.
7. Use Nordic or English product texts, paying special attention to Finland.
8. Offer local customer service with dedicated phone numbers and addresses.
9. Implement a streamlined marketing approach across all countries.
10. Develop procedures to maintain the webshop and marketing activities.