Food Distribution and Retail Network in Sweden
Sweden has a highly concentrated modern grocery market. The principal nationwide groups are ICA, Axfood, Coop and Lidl. According to the Swedish Competition Authority, these four actors together represented 98.5% of national grocery retail sales in 2025.
ICA operates several store formats, while Axfood includes Willys, Hemköp and City Gross as well as smaller neighbourhood and border-trade concepts. Coop operates cooperative supermarket formats, and Lidl is an important national discount operator. Sweden also has a developed online grocery channel led by operators such as Mathem, while Matsmart specialises in discounted surplus and short-dated food and consumer goods.
For canned-food and shelf-stable suppliers, the Swedish market offers opportunities across mainstream supermarkets, discount retail, e-commerce and the substantial cross-border trade concentrated near Norway.
Main Store Formats and Channels
- Supermarkets and hypermarkets: the core channel for everyday grocery shopping.
- Discount stores: a significant segment led by Willys and Lidl.
- Neighbourhood stores: smaller formats operated by ICA, Coop and Axfood-affiliated retailers.
- Online grocery: home delivery and e-commerce are established parts of the Swedish market.
- Border retail: large food stores near Norway serve substantial cross-border consumer traffic.
Key Market Characteristics
- Highly concentrated market: ICA, Axfood, Coop and Lidl dominate national grocery retail.
- Strong private labels: retailer-owned brands are important across the major groups.
- Developed e-commerce: both traditional chains and online-only retailers serve Swedish consumers.
- Price competition: discount formats have a significant role in the market.
- Cross-border demand: western Sweden includes specialised retail serving Norwegian shoppers.