In the Nordics, a new kind of shopper is emerging: digital-first yet deeply rooted in physical retail. With 91% shopping online and still choosing stores for essentials like groceries, the region is redefining hybrid commerce. Mobile is now the main driver: 70% of online and half of in-store payments happen via smartphone. Local wallets are thriving, especially in Sweden, while self-checkout stalls. For merchants, the path forward is clear—embrace mobile-first, omnichannel solutions to meet evolving expectations. The future of payments is already here. Are you ready to meet it?
Payments are evolving. Fast.
With new players and cross-border exchanges, payments are becoming more complex, while customers expect ever more seamless and convenient experiences. Our H1 2025 preview on the Nordic payments, based on interviews with around 4,000 consumers across Nordic countries, reveals how these trends are shaping the future of commerce in the Nordics.
The Rise of the Full Hybrid Consumer
The Nordics are among the world’s most advanced digital economies, with cash used in less than 10% of transactions. Digital payments including cards, local wallets, and mobile payments, are the preferred option for nearly everyone. Consumers are embracing a hybrid approach, seamlessly blending online and in-store shopping. Online shopping has become the norm, with 91% of people making purchases online.
The popularity of each channel varies depending on the type of purchase. When asked about shopping habits over the past 28 days, 45% of respondents reported buying clothing online, indicating a shift toward digital channels in this category. Additionally, 30% purchased pharmacy products online, while roughly a quarter of respondents bought beauty products (26%) and groceries (25%) online.
Based on the survey, groceries (67%) and pharmacy products (53%) remain the most purchased items in-store. Clothes (36%), bar and café visits (34%), fuel (31%), and fast food (29%) follow as the next most popular categories for in-store purchases.
Despite these preferences, the top categories, including groceries, pharma, retail, and fast food, are bought in both channels, reflecting the growing flexibility and confidence of Nordic consumers in using multiple channels for their everyday needs.
Mobile First
The Nordic region is becoming mobile-first for payments: 50% of respondents are using their smartphone for in-store payments, and 70% for online shopping. Mobile payments are chosen for speed and convenience (50%), loyalty benefits (22%), easy expense tracking (21%), and security (20%).
Local wallets are becoming the way to pay, both online and in-store, as consumers of all ages, including the elderly, grow more confident with digital payments including local wallets and mobile payments. Sweden is the most developed country using local wallets as a payment method (70,3%), followed by Norway (62,5%), Denmark (56,4%) and Finland (38,1%).
Card payments remain more prevalent than wallets in Denmark (64.9%) and Finland (48.7%), while in Norway (65.6%), cards and local wallets are used at nearly equal rates. In Sweden, however, card payments (53.6%) have already fallen behind wallet usage.
While mobile is becoming the preferred option for payments, there are still some concerns around using personal smartphone for payments. 32% of the respondents say they don´t use their smartphone for in-store payments due to lack of familiarity, and 22% cite concerns about security and data privacy.
Self-checkout still maturing as a habit
While 30% of respondents reported using self-checkout solutions always or at least occasionally, 70% still rarely use them.
The main reasons for preferring traditional checkout are a desire for human interaction (26%) and the perception that self-service takes more time than conventional checkout (25%). Additionally, nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) stated that self-checkout is not available to them, suggesting that broader availability could increase adoption.
To sum it up
Consumers in the Nordics are embracing a hybrid approach, mixing payment methods and channels for maximum convenience. To meet these evolving preferences, omnichannel solutions are essential to deliver seamless, customer-centric journeys.
The region has become truly mobile-first: 70% of consumers now use mobile as their primary channel for online purchases, and 50% pay with their smartphones in-store. For merchants, this means putting mobile at the heart of every customer journey and ensuring payment options are optimized for every channel.