Statistics from the Norwegian Statistical Office (SSB) on cross-border trade show that the inhabitants of Norway spent NOK 2,1 billion on purchases in the first three months of 2022.
NOK 2,1 billion in the first quarter of this year for purchases in Sweden
In 2020, Norway's lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic occurred at the end of the quarter. Because of this, cross-border trade ended a result of 1,7 billion NOK. In the first quarter of 2021, Statistics Norway had too little data to calculate the transaction amount and it was estimated at 20 million NOK.
We have to go back to 2019 to find the first quarter of the year that was not affected by the pandemic and restrictions. It was then that cross-border trade ended with NOK 3,9 billion.
Now, frontier trade is on the rise after all travel restrictions were lifted in the middle of the first quarter of this year. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve the same level of cross-border trade as in the record-breaking 2019 and years.
1 million cross-border commercial travel
In the first three months of this year, Norwegians made around 1 million cross-border trade journeys. In the same period in 2019, the figure was two million day trips across the border for shopping.
Suspension of sales of Russian products
According to other information, wine sales in Vinmonopolet have recently fallen by around 20 percent. However, this is an expected decline following the opening of the border with Sweden. It should be added that after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vinmonopolet decided to suspend the sale of Russian products.
- Our decision is supported by the Ministry of Health and Healthcare. Now we are taking products from Russia off our shelves, says CEO Elisabeth Hunter.
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