Keeping it local
Consumers in Denmark have a strong preference for domestic online retailers over foreign ones. In 2022, most shoppers made purchases on national websites, whereas four out of ten online shoppers bought from other EU countries. A mere 12 percent shopped from internet retailers located outside the EU. As local online retailers in Denmark remain a favored choice for shoppers, they outperform their foreign counterparts in e-commerce sales by a considerable margin. In 2022, e-commerce sales from Danish retailers totaled nearly 128 billion Danish kroner, equaling over 17 billion euros. In contrast, foreign web shops generated 52 billion Danish kroner, or nearly six billion euros. When comparing consumer preferences, Danish men were more open to buying products from abroad, whereas women preferred to stick to domestic sites.German fashion marketplace Zalando was the leading e-commerce company in Denmark in 2021, accounting for roughly six percent of the total market shares. Danish companies Nemlig and Salling Group, however, ranked among the top ones, with five and two percent market shares, respectively. Both companies operate in online grocery retailing. Some of the most well-known online supermarkets in the country are part of the Salling Group, which controls Netto, Føtex, Bilka, and Basalt.
Fashion takes the top spot
When surveyed about their online purchases, more than two-thirds of Danish consumers reported buying clothes, sports, and entertainment equipment via the internet. Online fashion shopping has gained ground in recent years and is expected to become the merchandise category with the largest online revenue in the European country. Fashion relevance in the e-commerce market is shown by retail mobile apps rankings, too.In 2022, Shein was the second-most used shopping app in the country, with over 334,000 users downloading the Chinese fast-fashion app. Shein's success over the past year has proven the staying power of fast-fashion models, though consumers are also becoming aware of the sustainability challenges these companies present. According to the latest surveys on purchase intentions, Danish digital shoppers are increasingly choosing more environmentally friendly second-hand fashion options.
