Year: 2020

The Russian e-commerce market is growing and becoming international – the coronavirus pandemic is speeding up development

Despite its fairly weak purchasing power, Russia is one of the largest e-commerce markets in the world, which is still developing and maturing. The popularity of digital shopping has increased rapidly in recent years, and the coronavirus pandemic has spurred the development of payment methods and logistics. Russian consumers are still different from Nordic consumers in many ways, and reviews by peers in particular are important to them when making purchase decisions. Even though China dominates cross-border digital shopping, purchases from other countries are becoming more common. Russian market platforms can also offer new growth opportunities for Finnish online stores.

An expected decision from the Labour Court: Suomen Kotidata can continue to follow the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector

The Finnish Commerce Federation is satisfied with the Labour Court’s decision according to which Suomen Kotidata can continue to follow the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector. The Finnish Commerce Federation considers the pressure and strikes from Trade Union Pro during the labour court process as a serious breach of industrial peace and troublemaking that demonstrates a disregard for the law and the rules of working life. Now, after the decision of the Labour Court, industrial peace will hopefully be restored at the company and it can return to normal.

The Finnish Commerce Federation has been reconciliating Trade Union Pro’s strike that threatens Suomen Kotidata – calling for patience to resolve the matter

This week, the Finnish Commerce Federation has been reconciliating the labour dispute in Suomen Kotidata Oy, a member company. The dispute concerns the collective agreement applied in the company. The Finnish Commerce Federation wishes to ensure that the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector can be put into effect promptly and impartially by a decision of the Labour Court in accordance with our legal system. The Finnish Commerce Federation hopes that Trade Union Pro will observe industrial peace for the duration of the investigation.

Retail trade grows while parts of specialty goods trade were hit hard by the coronavirus – structural reforms bring more jobs to the branch

The coronavirus crisis gave a record-high boost to the sales of electronics, hardware and daily consumer goods in places, but many branches of the specialty goods trade suffered. Simultaneously, the loss of retail trade jobs has accelerated. The potential second wave of the coronavirus towards the end of the year could cut the predicted 2.5 per cent growth in retail business in half and speed up the loss of jobs. Bold and comprehensive structural reforms are called for to eliminate the incentive traps tormenting the commerce sector.

Eased restrictions increased the attractiveness of brick-and-mortar stores

After the restrictions on movement were eased in early June, the intentions to do more digital shopping have faded. Particularly families with children shopped more for household and specialty goods online during the spring, but their intentions to do more online shopping have not intensified any further. As people are now allowed to move more freely, more over 65-year-olds in particular have started to visit grocery stores. Some of the customers who bought groceries from online stores have already started to go shopping more frequently in person.

Commerce may achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 – tax solutions and energy investment support will help in reaching the target

The aim of the commerce sector’s low carbon roadmap is to enable Finnish commerce to be the global climate pioneer in the industry and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, and in 2050, the industry’s emissions will be practically zero. By way of a reduced electricity tax and subsidised small-scale production of renewable energy, commerce can bring carbon neutrality forward by 15 years. Climate work by commerce sector companies, which serve the Finnish society as a whole, has a significant positive handprint impact on the entire value and delivery chain and customers’ possibilities to operate sustainably.

Consumer buying behaviour has changed during the COVID-19 crisis – some businesses also benefit from it

The use of social media has changed during the COVID-19 epidemic, and so has the use of different types of digital devices. These changes can be seen on the consumer’s path to purchase right from its start, for example in how people get impulses to buy. Digital buying has also changed, both in terms of the devices used and in terms of the products bought. Consumers have moved from buying clothing on digital platforms to buying electronics – both in physical stores and online. This report is based on data from an international consumer survey by Statista.

Shopping in stores has declined further while digital shopping is on the rise – every fifth consumer has already tried grocery shopping online during the coronavirus crisis

As the coronavirus crisis continues, even more consumers have cut down shopping in stores. This is reflected particularly clearly in specialty goods stores, department stores and shopping centres in the capital region. At the same time, the number of digital shoppers has grown briskly in a matter of weeks. Especially families with children shop more online, but also the oldest age groups do more digital shopping than before. Direct targeted support measures are urgently needed to help companies currently struggling with problems caused by the coronavirus crisis survive during the worst period.