The Nordic countries have long been a source of wonder amongst other nations around the world. We marvel at their beautiful fjords, at how they can function with less than 5 hours of sunlight in winter, and at how they can fit a wardrobe that large into a flat pack that small.
But now another phenomenon is capturing the world’s attention: the rise of ecommerce in Scandinavia. In 2017, 21.7 billion euros were spent online across the sub-continent, and 60% of Nordic people aged 18-79 made purchases online in an average month.
Of course, each Nordic country has its own idiosyncrasies when it comes to ecommerce: the Danes want more control before, during and after the purchase, for example deciding when and where the package is delivered; the Swedes want clear, informative websites so that the whole process is transparent, and they know exactly which stage of the purchase they are at; the Norwegians want to understand how to return packages as quickly and easily as possible, as this is often made difficult from their non-EU participation.
The overarching theme for these attitudes towards ecommerce, however, is the desire for thorough understanding of every stage in the purchase, and crystal-clear communication between merchant and customer throughout.
This is made somewhat difficult by Nordic people’s tendency to use online shops based abroad. The UK represents 34% of Denmark’s online retail, 27% of Norway’s, and 24% of Sweden’s; and you can bet that these UK-based websites are unlikely to use any Nordic languages as part of the payment process – your average merchant probably won’t be able to bank on their half-forgotten A-level Norwegian, Danish or Swedish to help them out…
To ensure that baskets aren’t abandoned at any point in the process, merchants must ensure that the maximum amount of essential information is successfully taken in by the customer. This is the main challenge for businesses looking to accelerate their online growth in the Nordics. By neglecting to offer a tailor-made payment process that speaks directly to each consumer, the language barrier may prove too tall and too impassable to mean that the sale is made.
Trust Payments now offer merchants payment pages in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, to make sure that you can dot the ä’s and cross the ø’s.
To find out more, call 0333 240 6000 or email partnerships@trustpayments.com
