Norwegian consumers are crossing the border into Sweden more often, while also spending less in domestic supermarkets, new data has found.
The data, from Statistics Norway, found that in the period running from the third quarter of last year to the second quarter of 2019, around NOK 1.6 billion in cross-border trade was recorded.
That's a 9.6% increase on the corresponding period the previous year (NOK 15.1 billion).
In addition, the number of day trips over the border has also increased, to 9.23 million, up from 8.1 billion the previous year, an increase of 13.9%.
Value Creation
Commenting to Norwegian media agency NTB, Harald Jachwitz Andersen of Virke Handel, which represents the retail sector in Norway, said that Norwegian tax policy was "sending jobs and value creation across the border".
In addition, Erlend Vagnild Fuglum of Bryggeri- og drikkevareforeningen (BROD), which represents brewers and beverage manufacturers, told NTB that the statistics should send a 'strong message' to legislators working on the state budget.
"The government has a choice: They can support Norwegian production and Norwegian jobs, or they can continue to support Swedish traders," he said.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
