Iceland flag Iceland: Buying and Selling

E-commerce in Iceland

E-commerce

Internet access
Iceland is among the top countries in the world in terms of internet use, with a penetration rate close to 100%. The country achieved such a diffusion of the internet thanks to its developed infrastructure and a small population (around 334,000 people). Smartphone penetration is also high, at 86.7% (MBL.is, 2016). The most popular web search engines in Iceland are Google (94.7%), Bing and DuckDuckGo (2.8% and 1% respectively).
E-commerce market
Although it is not a member of the European Union, Iceland follows the EU e-commerce regulations. Icelanders are increasingly using the internet to shop, as products are generally expensive on the island. Icelanders shop online mainly for clothing, DIY, baby and children’s products and home utensils. The reduction of tariffs on foreign products and improved shipping services boosted cross-board e-commerce (EcommerceNews estimated that 63% of e-shoppers from Iceland made cross-border purchases in 2017.). Icelanders use the internet also to buy online products otherwise not available in the local market. E-commerce platforms like AliExpress are very popular, as well as online retailers from the U.S. and the EU, especially those who offer convenient delivery services to Iceland. The most popular website to sell and buy used goods is Bland, where smaller businesses and individuals can promote their products and services. Local service providers are also increasingly offering their products online (like, iglo+indi, Lín Design, Epal, and Askja Botique, to name a few). The online platform Hopkaup.is also offers a wide range of products. Many Icelandic retailers and service providers use social media to advertise their services. Facebook is the most popular social media, with around 260,000 users (of which 23% are over 55 years old). Instagram is also popular, with 144,000 users in the country, of which 55% are female (Napoleoncat).

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Latest Update: November 2023