Shopping in Sweden: Supermarkets, Systembolaget and Pant

Grocery shopping sounds like the easiest item on the moving-abroad checklist. But as soon as you search the supermarket for wine in vain or stand puzzled in front of a deposit machine, you realise: things work differently in Sweden.

This article gives you a complete overview – of supermarket chains, the state alcohol monopoly Systembolaget, the deposit system, opening hours, prices, second-hand shopping, pharmacies and online shopping from outside the EU.

The main supermarket chains

The Swedish grocery market is dominated by a few large chains:

• ICA – the largest chain. Stores are usually run by independent retailers, so range and prices vary from store to store. They come in different sizes: ICA Nära (small), ICA Supermarket, ICA Kvantum and Maxi ICA Stormarknad (very large).
• Coop – a cooperative owned by its members. Members collect bonus points and get discounts.
• Willys – the best-known discount chain, often with the lowest prices.
• Hemköp – part of the same group as Willys, more of a classic supermarket.
• Lidl – also present in Sweden, with many products familiar from other European countries.
• City Gross – large hypermarkets, usually on the edge of town.

Almost all chains offer a free loyalty card or app with member prices. It is worth signing up at the stores near you – you usually need a personnummer (Swedish personal identity number) for this.

How shopping works

• In many stores you can scan your items yourself with a hand scanner or app (självscanning) and pay at a self-checkout.
• Payment is almost always by card or Swish. Cash is often still accepted, but hardly anyone uses it.
• Carrier bags cost money – bring your own.
• Every price label shows a comparison price (jämförpris) per kilo or litre – perfect for comparing offers.

Systembolaget: the alcohol monopoly

If you want to buy wine, spirits or stronger beer in Sweden, you have to go to Systembolaget. The state-owned company has a monopoly on selling alcohol to private individuals.

• Age limit: you must be at least 20 years old. Anyone who looks younger than 25 will be asked for ID – so always carry it.
• Supermarkets only sell drinks with up to 3.5% alcohol, such as folköl (light beer). The age limit for these is 18.
• Opening hours: most stores are open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (some longer) and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are closed on Sundays.
• On public holidays and eves such as Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve, stores are closed or have shorter hours – current times are listed on the holiday opening hours page.
• You can order online and collect in store or at a pick-up point (ombud) – handy in rural areas.

You may not buy alcohol for or give it to anyone under 20. This is called langning and is a criminal offence. Staff can refuse the sale if they suspect it.

Our tip: the advice at Systembolaget is genuinely good. The range is huge, and staff are happy to help you find the right wine for your meal.

Pant: the Swedish deposit system

In Sweden you pay a deposit (pant) on drink cans and PET bottles. The system is run by Pantamera. The deposit amounts were increased in 2025:

• aluminium cans and small PET bottles: SEK 2 (previously SEK 1)
• large PET bottles: SEK 3 (previously SEK 2)

Important: you always get back the amount printed on the packaging. As the switch takes time, cans and bottles with the old amounts are still in circulation in 2026.

How to return them

1. Don't crush cans and bottles – the machine has to read the barcode.
2. Put them into the deposit machine (pantautomat) at the supermarket.
3. Redeem the receipt at the checkout – or donate it at the machine.

Cans and bottles bought in other countries are generally not accepted in Swedish machines – and vice versa.

Opening hours

Sweden has no general law restricting shop opening hours. This means:

• Many supermarkets are open every day – including Sundays – often from the morning until 9 or 10 p.m.
• Shopping centres and high-street shops usually open later and close earlier at weekends.
• On public holidays and eves (Christmas Eve, Midsummer Eve, New Year's Eve), shorter hours often apply.
• The big exception is Systembolaget: closed on Sundays and public holidays.

In the countryside, opening hours may be shorter. It is best to check them in the store's app or website.

Typical products and prices

Things you should try

• Knäckebröd – crispbread in countless varieties
• Kaviar in a tube – a salty fish roe spread for bread or eggs
• Filmjölk – a mild, slightly sour fermented milk for cereal
• Västerbottensost – a strong, tangy hard cheese
• Falukorv – a mild sausage that many families eat regularly
• Lingonsylt – lingonberry jam to go with meatballs
• Lösgodis – pick-and-mix sweets, traditionally eaten as lördagsgodis on Saturdays

How expensive is grocery shopping?

Many groceries in Sweden are more expensive than in countries like Germany – especially cheese, meat, sweets and alcohol. Other products are comparable. There is some relief at the moment: according to Skatteverket, VAT on food (matmoms) has been cut from 12 to 6 percent from 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2027.

How to save money:

• compare the weekly offers (veckans erbjudanden) in the apps
• look at the jämförpris rather than the pack price
• choose own-brand products
• buy reduced items close to their best-before date
• do your big shop at discounters such as Willys or Lidl

Second-hand: Blocket, Tradera and loppis

Buying second-hand is completely normal in Sweden – and a great way for newcomers to furnish a home on a budget.

• Blocket – the biggest classifieds site, from furniture to cars and children's clothes
• Tradera – an auction platform, similar to eBay
• Facebook Marketplace and local groups, often with furniture for collection
• Loppis – flea markets, especially in the countryside in summer. Look out for hand-written "Loppis" signs by the roadside!
• Charity second-hand shops such as Myrorna, Erikshjälpen, Stadsmissionen or Röda Korset (Red Cross)

Watch out for scams: never pay strangers in advance for goods you haven't seen, and use the platforms' secure payment options where possible.

Pharmacies: prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines

Sweden has several pharmacy chains, such as Apoteket, Apotek Hjärtat, Kronans Apotek and Apoteksgruppen, as well as online pharmacies. Some over-the-counter medicines such as painkillers are also sold in supermarkets and petrol stations – but only a small range.

• Prescriptions are electronic (e-recept) and linked to your personnummer. You can collect them at any pharmacy with ID.
• There is a high-cost ceiling (högkostnadsskydd) for prescription medicines: according to the authority TLV, you pay no more than SEK 3,800 within twelve months (for periods starting on or after 1 July 2025).
• Pharmacists are happy to advise you – often in English, too.

Online shopping and customs from outside the EU

Within the EU you can order without customs duties. Things are different for orders from countries outside the EU, such as China, the USA, the UK, Norway or Switzerland:

• VAT is charged on all goods – regardless of their value.
• Since 1 July 2026, a new EU-wide rule applies: for consignments worth up to 150 euros, a flat customs duty of 3 euros per item category (tariff line) is charged. The rule is planned as a temporary measure until 1 July 2028.
• Above 150 euros, the normal duty rate for the product applies.
• In addition, transport companies often charge their own fee for customs clearance.

With the customs calculator of Tullverket (Swedish Customs) you can work out the costs in advance. Note: strict special rules apply to alcohol, tobacco, medicines and counterfeit goods.

Our conclusion

Shopping in Sweden is straightforward once you know the system: groceries at the supermarket, alcohol at Systembolaget, empty cans back into the deposit machine. Prices are often higher than in many other European countries, but with loyalty cards, weekly offers and second-hand shopping you can save noticeably.

Our tip: download the apps of the supermarkets near you, always bring ID to Systembolaget and check the customs calculator before ordering from outside the EU. That way there will be no nasty surprises at the checkout.