Shopping in Sweden is easy, but four things work differently from what most visitors expect: when shops open, how you pay, what the price label means, and whether you can take something back. Each has its own detailed guide. This page gives you the rule and tells you where to read more.
When you need this
You’re planning a Sunday and wondering what will be open. A card terminal has just asked “SEK or EUR?” You bought a jacket that doesn’t fit and want to know if the shop has to take it back. Or you’re in a supermarket looking for wine and can only find light beer.
Opening hours: Sunday is a shopping day
Sweden has had no law on shop opening hours since 1972. Every opening time you see in a shop window is the store’s own choice, which means two things: supermarkets and most city shops open on Sundays, and the hours can change without notice.
If you come from Germany, Austria or the Netherlands, forget about stocking up on Saturday. There’s no Sunday closure to plan around.
The law still applies to one kind of shop: Systembolaget, the state alcohol monopoly. Its hours are set by the Riksdag, Sweden’s parliament, and it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The other thing to watch is three dates that aren’t public holidays in law but close more of Sweden than any Sunday does:
| Day | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Ordinary Sunday | Supermarkets and most shops open, often shorter hours |
| Midsummer Eve | Much of the country shuts; Systembolaget closed |
| Christmas Eve (24 Dec) | Much of the country shuts; Systembolaget closed |
| New Year’s Eve | Systembolaget closed early, at 15:00, in 2026 |
Opening hours are longest in city centres and shopping centres and shortest in small towns, where the only grocery store may close early. For the full breakdown by sector, see opening hours in Sweden.
Paying: card, kronor, and when cash still works
Card is the default. Sweden’s central bank found that 92% of in-store purchases are made by card, and most businesses are allowed to refuse cash as long as they say so before you buy. A Visa or Mastercard will cover almost everything. American Express is often refused by smaller shops, so don’t make it your only card.
Two rules save you money and hassle:
- Always pay in kronor. When a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, the conversion is done by the merchant’s payment provider, not your bank, with its margin built into the rate. Say no every time.
- Know your PIN. Unmanned machines ask for it even if you normally tap to pay.
The cash rule changed recently. Since 1 July 2026, grocery stores and pharmacies with a staffed checkout must accept cash for small payments (up to a legal cap, with at most 25 coins). Other shops can still refuse it. Details are in using cards in Sweden, paying with cash and Apple Pay and Google Pay.
What the price label tells you
Swedish price labels already include tax. Prices shown to consumers must include VAT (moms), in shops and online. Standard VAT is 25%, and food is taxed at 6% from 1 April 2026 until the end of 2027.
The label also carries a smaller number worth reading: the jämförpris (comparison price) per kilo, litre or unit, which is required by law. It’s the fastest way to compare pack sizes.
A few things can still be added at the till:
| Extra | Why |
|---|---|
| Pant (deposit) | Added for drinks cans and bottles; refunded at the store’s return machine |
| Carrier bag | Sold, not free; cheaper since the 3 kr bag tax ended on 1 November 2024 |
| Member price vs ordinary price | ICA and Coop labels may show a lower members-only price |
Prices in shops are fixed. Haggling isn’t a Swedish custom. For supermarkets in particular, see Swedish supermarkets and self-checkout; for deposits, returning cans and bottles.
Returns: the rule visitors get wrong
This is the part that catches visitors out. In a Swedish shop, you have no legal right to return an item that isn’t faulty. Konsumentverket, the Swedish Consumer Agency, says it plainly: no law requires shops to offer öppet köp (money back) or bytesrätt (exchange). Many shops do offer them, but on their own terms, and they don’t have to tell you what those terms are unless you ask.
The rules depend on how and where you bought the item:
| Situation | Your right | Source of the right |
|---|---|---|
| Bought in a shop, changed your mind | Only what the shop offers | Store policy |
| Bought online or by phone from a business | 14 days to cancel (ångerrätt), counted from the day after you receive the goods | Law |
| Item is faulty | Complain (reklamation) for up to 3 years | Law |
| Bought from a private person | No withdrawal right; consumer purchase law doesn’t apply | Law |
Three practical points:
- Ask before you pay, and check that the return terms are printed on the receipt. Keep the receipt.
- For a faulty item, complain within two months of spotting the fault. Faults that appear within the first two years are treated as the seller’s to fix. No law says you need a receipt; a bank statement can serve as proof of purchase.
- Online sellers must now make cancelling easy. Since 19 June 2026, they have to offer a withdrawal function in the website or app itself.
The 14-day right doesn’t cover passenger transport or accommodation booked for set dates. See buying train tickets and renting a cabin.
Alcohol: the one shop with its own rules
Supermarkets can sell beer only up to 3.5% alcohol, known as folköl. Anything stronger, including all wine and spirits, is sold only by Systembolaget. You must be 20 to buy there (18 for folköl in supermarkets).
Because Systembolaget is closed on Sundays and public holidays, and there is no legal alternative above 3.5%, buy on Saturday before it closes if you want wine for Sunday dinner. See how Systembolaget works.
Tax-free shopping for non-EU visitors
If you live outside the EU, you can get the VAT back on goods from shops that offer tax-free:
- The purchase must be at least 200 kr including VAT.
- The goods must leave the EU by the end of the third month after the purchase month.
- You must get the tax-free form stamped before you leave the EU. It can’t be added afterwards, and without it the VAT is lost.
Residents of Norway and Åland follow a separate rule (at least 1,000 kr excluding VAT, with VAT paid at home), and anyone registered as living in the EU can’t shop tax-free. The full procedure, including where to get the stamp at the airport, is in VAT refunds for non-EU visitors.
Flea markets and second-hand
Second-hand shopping is common in Sweden, from shops to summer flea markets (loppis). The legal difference depends on who is selling. When you buy from a company, consumer purchase law applies, including to second-hand and sale items. When you buy from a private seller at a flea market, it doesn’t, and there’s no right of withdrawal.
Bring a little cash to flea markets. Sellers may take only cash or Swish, a Swedish phone payment app that requires a Swedish bank account and BankID, which most visitors don’t have. More in flea markets and second-hand.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shop opening hours | Set by each shop; Sunday trading normal since 1972 |
| Systembolaget | Closed Sundays and public holidays; hours set by the Riksdag |
| Big closing days | Midsummer Eve, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve |
| Card use | 92% of in-store purchases |
| Cash | May be refused, except at grocery stores and pharmacies with staffed checkouts (since 1 July 2026) |
| VAT in prices | Always included; 25% standard, 6% on food (1 Apr 2026 – 31 Dec 2027) |
| Returns in a shop | Voluntary store policy (öppet köp) |
| Online purchases | 14-day right of withdrawal; withdrawal function required since 19 June 2026 |
| Faulty goods | Complaint right 3 years; complain within 2 months of discovery |
| Tax-free minimum (non-EU) | 200 kr including VAT |
| Carrier bags | Sold at the till; bag tax ended 1 Nov 2024 |
| Alcohol above 3.5% | Systembolaget only; minimum age 20 |
FAQ
Are shops open on Sundays in Sweden?
Yes. Sweden abolished shop-hours regulation in 1972, so supermarkets, shopping centres and most city shops open on Sundays, often with shorter hours than on weekdays. The exception is Systembolaget, the state alcohol shop, which is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Midsummer Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve close far more than an ordinary Sunday.
Do I need cash for shopping in Sweden?
Rarely. About 92% of in-store purchases are made by card, and most businesses may refuse cash. Since 1 July 2026, grocery stores and pharmacies with a staffed checkout must accept cash for small payments. A Visa or Mastercard covers almost everything; small notes help mainly at flea markets. Always choose to pay in kronor when asked.
Can I return something I bought in a Swedish shop?
Only if the shop chooses to allow it. No Swedish law requires shops to offer öppet köp (money back) or bytesrätt (exchange), and the shop sets its own conditions. Ask before paying and make sure the terms are on the receipt. Faulty goods are different: you always have the right to complain about a fault, for up to three years.
Do I have a right to cancel an online purchase in Sweden?
Yes. When you buy from a business online or by phone, you have a 14-day right of withdrawal, counted for goods from the day after you receive them. Since 19 June 2026, online sellers must offer a withdrawal function in the website or app itself. The right does not apply to purchases from private individuals, or to set-date travel and accommodation.
Do Swedish prices include tax?
Yes. Prices shown to consumers must be total prices including VAT (moms), in shops and online. Standard VAT is 25%, and food is taxed at 6% from 1 April 2026 until the end of 2027. The shelf label must also show a comparison price per kilo or litre, which makes pack sizes easy to compare.
Can tourists shop tax-free in Sweden?
Residents of countries outside the EU can reclaim VAT on goods from shops that offer tax-free, if the purchase is at least 200 kr including VAT and the goods leave the EU by the end of the third month after the purchase month. The form must be stamped before you leave the EU. Residents of Norway and Åland follow a separate rule.
Can I buy wine in a Swedish supermarket?
No. Supermarkets may sell beer only up to 3.5% alcohol, known as folköl. Wine, spirits and stronger beer are sold only by Systembolaget, the state-owned monopoly, which requires buyers to be 20 and is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Plan the alcohol purchase before Saturday afternoon if you want it for Sunday.
Related guides
- Opening hours in Sweden: every sector, every holiday, and the three eves that shut the country
- Using cards in Sweden: acceptance, PIN machines and the home-currency trap in detail
- VAT refunds for non-EU visitors: forms, stamps and airport desks, step by step
- Swedish supermarkets: the chains, member prices and how to read a shelf label
- How Systembolaget works: hours, ID checks and what it sells
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: Konsumentverket (the Swedish Consumer Agency), Sveriges Riksbank, Sveriges riksdag, Skatteverket, Tullverket, Systembolaget. Full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.