State-backed alcohol retailer Systembolaget will soon launch home delivery services. Officials from the company said at the weekend that it had been given the go-ahead from Stockholm to launch deliveries on a trial basis. However, the trial will be limited to just six areas across the country.
According to Systembolaget chief executive Magdalena Gerger, the organisation has sought delivery rights in order to cater to the rising popularity of online shopping. She told The Local, “We have witnessed a change in purchasing habits. To order via the internet and then collect in store has almost taken over. We are now simplifying and improving it further for the customer.”
Gerger went on to say that her organisation believes the new service will not contribute to an increase in consumption: “One orders at home instead of going to the store, one doesn’t do both. But it is a new trial and that is why we have drafted in researchers who will evaluate it.”
Meanwhile, Swedish minister for Children and the Elderly Maria Larsson told The Local, “In the trial we want to explore whether home delivery is possible while maintaining the regulatory framework [that] Systembolaget has today.”
Each delivery will entail a surcharge of SEK 250 (EUR 29), officials said, and all orders will follow a three-stage age checking process to ensure compliance with Swedish laws. Each customer will have to first apply for a delivery account. Then upon delivery, they must present identification. Lastly, the Systembolaget delivery person will scan the ID.