Nicotine is Sweden's fastest-growing e-commerce category — growing nearly 2x the market
Sweden's Retail Federation reports nicotine and tobacco e-commerce turnover grew 19% in Q2 2026 — nearly double the 10% growth of the overall e-commerce market. The category is outpacing every other segment year-to-date, driven by a stable customer base rather than temporary spikes, according to Haypp Group.
Nicotine and tobacco products are the fastest-growing category in Swedish e-commerce, outpacing the broader online retail market by nearly two to one, according to data from the Swedish Retail Federation (Svensk Handel).
The federation's E-commerce Indicator for June and July 2026 shows nicotine and tobacco turnover grew 19% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year. Overall Swedish e-commerce grew 10% in the same quarter — meaning nicotine products are expanding at nearly double the market rate.
The data was highlighted by Haypp Group, the Stockholm-listed company that runs the world's largest online nicotine pouch retail operation, in an investor update on 26 August 2026.
The numbers
| Metric | Nicotine/tobacco | Overall e-commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 turnover growth | +19% | +10% |
| Year-to-date (Jan–Jul) growth | +8% | +5% |
| Q2 2026 average purchase | SEK 755 | — |
Total Swedish e-commerce turnover reached SEK 14.7 billion in June (down 4% year-on-year) and SEK 14.9 billion in July (up 9%). Despite the weaker June, the broader market still grew 10% for the quarter as a whole.
The average purchase amount in the nicotine and tobacco category was SEK 755 in Q2 2026, down from SEK 797 a year earlier — suggesting more frequent, smaller orders rather than shrinking demand.
Why it matters
The Svensk Handel data is independent retail federation data, not a company sales pitch. It confirms what Haypp's own Q2 results showed at the company level: Swedish nicotine e-commerce is structurally growing, not spiking.
Markus Lindblad, Head of Legal & External Affairs at Haypp Group, said: "This trend confirms the shift in consumer behaviour that has been underway for some time. The category is growing faster than e-commerce as a whole, both during the quarter and year-to-date, and this growth is underpinned by a stable customer base rather than temporary spikes."
That distinction matters. A stable customer base means repeat purchases — subscriptions, regular top-ups — rather than one-off novelty buys. Haypp's own Q2 report showed nicotine pouches now account for 71% of everything it sells by volume, with group pouch volume up 45% year-on-year. We broke down those numbers here: Haypp's nicotine pouch sales jumped 45%. Profit went to zero..
The broader context: even as the overall Swedish e-commerce market shrank in June, the nicotine category kept growing. That's a signal that the shift toward online nicotine pouch purchasing in Sweden — the country that invented snus and has the EU's only snus exemption — is still accelerating.
Danske Bank backs Haypp with SEK 400m facility
Separately, Haypp announced on 24 August 2026 that it has secured a SEK 400 million revolving credit facility from Danske Bank, replacing its existing financing arrangements. The new facility gives the company more firepower to fund its expansion into the US, UK and Saudi Arabia — the three markets Haypp has identified as its growth priorities.
Barclays also raised its price target for Haypp Group to SEK 210 (from SEK 170), reiterating its "overweight" recommendation, according to MarketScreener data. The stock trades on Nasdaq Stockholm First North.
The financing and analyst vote of confidence come despite Haypp's Q2 profit landing at zero — the company is deliberately spending on customer acquisition in growth markets, betting that scale will deliver leverage in 2027.
What's next
The Svensk Handel indicator will next update with August data. The key question is whether the 19% growth rate holds as Sweden heads into autumn — historically a stronger season for nicotine product sales. With Haypp now armed with a SEK 400m credit facility and expanding into Saudi Arabia (which it calls the world's second-largest pouch market), the company-level and market-level growth stories are pointing the same direction.
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SOURCES:
- Haypp Group / MarketScreener: Nicotine and tobacco products remain among the fastest-growing e-commerce categories in Sweden (26 August 2026, citing Svensk Handel E-commerce Indicator)
- Svensk Handel (Swedish Retail Federation): E-commerce Indicator (underlying data source for June–July 2026)
- Haypp Group Q2 2026 interim report: referenced via Haypp's nicotine pouch sales jumped 45% (PouchDaily, 16 August 2026)