E‑commerce in Finland

Per capita purchasing power in Finland is around EUR 22,626—10th place in Europe. This puts Finland in third place in Scandinavia—behind Norway and Sweden.

With around 5.5 million inhabitants, Finland is a manageable but attractive e‑commerce market: High purchasing power, digital affinity and high quality standards make the country exciting for cross‑border trade.

Finland is the smallest of the Nordic markets, but highly attractive for online retailers: Digital affinity is high and cross‑border demand is strong.

Already 70% of the population regularly shop online, and the trend is rising. E‑commerce sales of  approx. EUR 10.3 billion are expected by 2027.

Finnish consumers focus on comfort—young target groups in particular are driving the market:

By 2025, half of 18 to 29-year-olds will be shopping online every week.

Online banking payments are still preferred by Finns (95%), but the popularity of credit and debit card payments as well as mobile payment methods such as Apple and Google Pay is constantly increasing.

In addition to large international platforms, local marketplaces are also becoming increasingly important in Finland.

Finnish consumers are much less likely to return goods than those in other European countries: Only around 39% have ever returned an online order. Even large retailers such as Verkkokauppa.com have return rates of less than 1%.

Nevertheless, “complicated returns processes” are one of the main reasons for not ordering from foreign stores. A customer-friendly setup with simple processes is correspondingly important.

Returns in Finland are preferably made via the nationwide network of parcel machines—a contactless 24/7 solution that has proven itself in everyday life.

‍

Finland is an exciting e‑commerce market with high online affinity and clear expectations for checkout and shipping. Transparency, established payment methods and flexible delivery options are key to sustainable success.

Despite the low returns rate, simple return processes are crucial, especially in a cross‑border context: Offering local parcel machines as a return option lowers barriers and strengthens the trust of Finnish customers.