In Finland, trust in e-shopping are on the increase, the most digital Christmas ever in retail expected – but retailers also need to offer other channels
07 December 2020
Trust in online shopping seems to have increased in Finland. Some 77% of Finns deem online shopping to be safe. In the Security Barometer 2018, the corresponding share was 69%. In addition, only a fifth of Finns regard online shopping as unsafe, whereas in 2018 the share was almost one third. The Finnish Commerce Federation is expecting a “record-breaking e-commerce Christmas season”.
“Christmas shopping seems to be moving increasingly to the digital realm. It would seem that building a trusted online store is now somewhat more on the retailers’ agenda. While this is a good direction, no one can rest on their laurels. The price of digital trust is constant vigilance and development work in security,” says Maria Nordgren, Head of Cybersecurity Services, TietoEVRY.
In addition to helping spur an increase in online shopping, the pandemic has also impacted people’s ability and desire to shop in bricks-and-mortar stores. In the survey, some 24% of Finns revealed that they do not miss heading out to the shops. However, a bigger number – 38% – stated that they do miss having the same opportunities to shop in physical stores as they did before the pandemic. Indeed, this feeling was more pronounced among Finns compared to respondents in other Nordic countries (Sweden 27%, Norway 26%).
“The pandemic has driven increased online shopping, and the share will probably remain high after the pandemic is over. Nevertheless, it is clear that Finns want to have access to all types of shopping channels in addition to secure e-shopping. This means that retailers need to invest in customer experience in all channels and all customer touchpoints. It may possibly result even in new business models. In short, retailers need to ensure that both physical and online stores meet customer requirements,” says Nicolas Romi, Principal Consultant, TietoEVRY.