The Swedish Trade Federation (Svensk Handel) has 13,000 member businesses representing a total of 21,500 workplaces, as well as 300,000 people tangentially active in retail and wholesale commerce. Retail and wholesale commerce includes import/export, mail order business, and e-commerce.
Retail, wholesale and import trade play a prominent role in the Swedish economy. Commerce constitutes almost a tenth of Swedens GNP and imports above 40%.
Svensk Handel’s mission is dictated by its member companies, and all our activities are directed at making their day to day operations easier and more profitable. This means that we advocate for a free economy, free trade and good business conditions.
Activities
Svensk Handel is an organization that deals with economic policy and employer issues on behalf of Swedish companies involved in commerce.
We are a member-driven organization and are active both domestically and internationally in campaigning for a world without trade barriers.
Svensk Handel offers its members legal services, covering topics such as employment law and international contract law. The latter service chiefly handles contractual matters, rental agreements and disputes, damages and family law (inheritance law).
We also help our members protect themselves against criminality that affects commerce (theft and fraud); distribute market information and analysis; provide training and consulting services, bank contacts (tellers and cash cards), and more. The goal is not only to strengthen commerce in Sweden as a whole, but to improve our members’ profitability directly. We actively lobby politicians, civil servants, as well as the media and the public on behalf of commercial interests.
Commerce is one of Sweden’s strongest economic sectors today, and companies involved in commerce are among the largest employers in Sweden. As an organization, we negotiate with labor unions on behalf of Swedish companies to reach collective labor agreements. Svensk Handel is Confederation of Swedish Enterprise’s (Svenskt Näringsliv’s) largest member organization.
For importers - the Federation provides qualified service in all import related matters, assists in establishing commercial contacts, promotes imports in co-operation with governmental agencies and speaks for free trade and better conditions for importers in the trade policy work. If you ar interested in the Swedish import market and the Federation's role in promoting imports to Sweden, please contact christina.af.klint@svenskhandel.se.
Members
Our members include both large and small companies involved in the many sectors of commerce. In retail, our membership includes companies that sell groceries, clothing, clocks, books, flowers, electronics, tobacco and sporting goods amongst other things. In wholesale, our members include companies that deliver these goods, as well as building materials, machines, car parts, and more.
Our largest member companies are well-known names in household goods, furniture, textiles, as well as construction and wholesale. The ten largest companies are ICA Handlarnas AB, H&M, Svenska Lantmännen, Ahlsell, Åhléns, IKEA, Hemköp, Lindex, ICA Menyföretagen and Beijer Byggmaterial. Other members are small companies with only a few employees, and even single-person operations.
Enquiries about membership and other questions should be sent to info@svenskhandel.se.