Convenience Wins

Online grocery shopping is likely to continue to proliferate beyond the pandemic; in Denmark, the online grocery market is set to grow by 15% by 2030, accounting for 80% of overall grocery growth during this period (BCG, 2020). Meanwhile, the share of Swedish consumers who purchase groceries online multiple times per month has increased 40% compared to pre-pandemic (BCG, 2021).

New Health Attitudes

Reflecting global sentiments, two-thirds of Nordic consumers are actively trying to follow a healthier diet (YouGov, 2021). Disease prevention is a particular focus; 27% of Swedish consumers say their post-Covid food aspiration is to eat a diet that reduces their risk of ‘lifestyle diseases’ like hypertension and diabetes (Diana Food, 2020).

The Vegan Diet Appeals

A recent survey by Swedish supermarket Axfood found that almost a quarter of Swedish consumers will eat less meat in 2022 compared to 2021, with 58% citing the climate and the environment as their main reasons for doing so (Axfood, 2021), whilst, in 2020, Norwegian meat intake hit a 14-year low (Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomics, 2020).

Eco Eaters

The sustainable eating habits that Scandinavian consumers adopted during the pandemic are likely to stick long-term. Of the 65% of Danish consumers who actively made sustainable and socially responsible food purchasing decisions in 2020, 20% said they were likely to continue to do so going forward (BCG, 2021).

Organic Advocates

As a result of the huge demand for sustainable food and drink, sales of organic food have boomed across the region. In 2020, Denmark had the highest consumption of organic food per capita of any country in the world with 13.3% of all food purchased carrying an organic claim (Danmarks Statistik, 2020).

The Self-Sufficiency Surge

Urban food self-sufficiency is a significant focus in Scandinavia. Large vertical farms are in development across the region, allowing for the cultivation of a wide range of climate-sensitive foods that would normally be imported from warmer climates. Read Food Tech Trends 2021 for more on developments in progressive farming methods.