In most European markets, home delivery is the preferred option for consumers for the delivery of online orders. This is not the case in Finland.
Before we find out why, however, let’s take a step back and analyse all the data that will help us understand the Finnish eCommerce market, which is definitely at the forefront of delivery.
How many eShoppers are there in Finland
With a population of about 5.541 million (World Bank, 2021) among the oldest in the world – the average age of Finns is 42.6 years, one of the highest -, Finland is nevertheless one of the most advanced countries when it comes to online sales.
98 per cent of Finns have access to the Internet and of these 81 per cent can be considered eShoppers in their own right.
The share of online shoppers in Finland has increased considerably over the past five years and particularly in the post-Covid period. Suffice it to say that in 2018 eShoppers were only 74% of the population; this figure rose to 77% in 2019, to 78% in 2020 and from 2021 onwards it is stable at 81%. Six percentage points in five years.
How often do Finnish eShoppers buy online
The percentage of people who say they buy online at least once a month was 59% in 2021. In 2020, it stood at 49%.
Of these, 77% say they prefer to shop online at National Sellers, 44% also use European online sites and only 16% entrust their shopping to non-EU eCommerce.
Finnish record for Out Of Home density
Finland’s supremacy, however, has to do with the delivery methods preferred by eShoppers and, above all, with the number of OOH pick-up points.
In fact, as early as 2021, Finland held the title of the only European country with more than 20 Out Of Home delivery points per 10,000 inhabitants.
In recent years, OOH deliveries have also become increasingly popular in the rest of Europe (remember, in Italy the percentage of deliveries at OOH points is 15.9 per cent in 2023). However, Finland has preserved its vocation for more sustainable and practical deliveries at Locker and Pick-up Points and is still one of the countries with the highest density of OOH Pick-up Points.
If you are interested in learning more about how OOH deliveries are also worth in other European countries, click here to read our dedicated article.
How many OOH points are there in Finland
According to the report Out Of Home delivery in Europe 2023 by Last Mile Experts, there are more than 4,000 Pick-up Points and more than 4,500 micro-hubs in Finland for the collection of online orders, totalling more than 8600 Out Of Home Points.
Finnish eShoppers prefer Out Of Home deliveries
What is surprising, however, is not so much the number of OOH points available to eShoppers, but the use made of them: suffice it to say that 90 per cent of the B2c volumes of Posti (first operator in Finland) are Out Of Home.
Delivery preferences of Finnish eShoppers, Statista data 2021
According to Statista data, 68% of Finns prefer to collect their online orders from a Locker (parcel machine, 35%) or a Collection Point (distribution point, 33%). Only 13% prefer Home Delivery.
In other words, unlike in most of Europe where home delivery is still the preferred delivery method, in Finland OOH deliveries have become in effect a standard for eShoppers. And no wonder given the advantages.
Why Out Of Home deliveries are so popular in Finland
Certainly, Finland has territorial peculiarities that favour these modes of order collection over home delivery.
The unspoilt nature of the country certainly makes door-to-door deliveries more complex. On the contrary, Out Of Home deliveries are much more practical, since the customer can go and pick up his parcel at a time that suits him best, at a place that is most convenient for him.
In fact, the high presence of OOH Points makes it easy for the Finnish population to reach their chosen location to pick up their online orders, demonstrating that one of the secrets to increasing consumer interest in alternative and more sustainable forms of delivery is their ubiquity.
If you are interested in finding out more about all the advantages of Out Of Home deliveries, you can read our dedicated in-depth article.
