Expanding into the Nordics with affiliate marketing

Denmark, Sweden and Norway are attractive markets for webshops: shoppers are digital, buy online often and are used to buying from abroad. Many brands from the rest of Europe see the Nordics as a natural next step after their home market.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most cost-efficient ways to enter these markets, because you only pay for results and can borrow the trust of local publishers. But the three countries are not one market. Each has its own language, currency, payment habits and networks.

The Nordic e-commerce picture

A few recent figures show why the region is worth the effort:

Danish e-commerce reached about DKK 199 billion in 2025, up 3.8% on 2024, according to Dansk Erhverv.
Swedish e-commerce grew by about 10% in 2025 to SEK 153 billion, according to PostNord’s E-barometern.
Across the Nordics, roughly three in four consumers bought from a foreign online shop in the past year, and 48% do so every month, according to PostNord’s spring 2025 report.
Clothing is the top online category in all Nordic countries, with health and beauty in second place in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Shoppers are open to foreign webshops, but they compare carefully. Local recommendations from trusted publishers help close that gap.

Local affiliate networks

International networks such as Awin, Tradedoubler, Daisycon and TradeTracker are active in the region, but local networks often hold the strongest relationships with Nordic publishers.

Partner-ads: a Danish network founded in 2001, focused mainly on Denmark, with more than 2,000 active partners including influencers.
Adtraction: founded in Sweden in 2007, with its own offices in 13 European markets, including Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Adrecord: a Swedish network founded in 2010 and acquired by Adtraction Group in October 2024, with customers being offered a move to the Adtraction platform over time.
Addrevenue: a Swedish network whose publishers include websites, bloggers and social media creators.

Many advertisers start with one strong network per country and add a second later. Running two networks in the same market can widen your reach, but you then need clear rules to avoid paying twice for the same sale.

Language and currency

Danish, Swedish and Norwegian are related, but shoppers expect a webshop in their own language. A Danish-language site will not convert well in Sweden. Each country also has its own currency: Danish kroner (DKK), Swedish kronor (SEK) and Norwegian kroner (NOK).

Translate product pages, checkout and customer service texts properly, not just the front page.
Show prices in local currency, including VAT, and set commission in the same currency.
Give publishers localised product feeds, banners and campaign texts for each market.
Remember that Norway is outside the EU, so check customs, duties and returns before you launch there.

Payment methods and delivery

Local payment options often decide whether a click from a publisher becomes a sale.

Denmark: MobilePay has about 4.6 million users, and 47% of Danish online shoppers pay with an app.
Sweden: Swish has more than 8 million users, and invoice payment, often through Klarna, is one of the most used methods online.
Norway: Vipps has about 4.6 million users and is the default mobile payment for many shoppers.
Delivery preferences differ too: Danes prefer service points, Swedes home delivery and Norwegians delivery to the letterbox.

Local publisher types

The Nordic publisher landscape is mature and varied. When you build your programme, look for a balance of:

Price comparison and product search sites, which are widely used before purchases.
Niche content sites and blogs in categories such as fashion, beauty, home, outdoor and parenting.
Influencers and creators on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, often joining through the local networks.
Cashback, loyalty and member benefit schemes.
Deal and discount code sites, which are especially active around Black Week.

Timing matters. Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026, and many Nordic retailers run Black Week offers from around 20 November. Publishers plan their content weeks ahead, so a new programme should ideally be live by early autumn.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most failed Nordic launches have little to do with the products. They usually come down to a few avoidable choices:

Treating the three countries as one market, with one shared site, one currency or one set of campaign texts.
Launching with commission below what local competitors offer, so the best publishers never test the programme.
Slow or unclear validation of sales, which quickly damages trust among publishers who talk to each other.
High shipping costs or long delivery times that publishers cannot defend in their reviews.
No local contact person, so questions from publishers go unanswered for days.

Nordic publishers value advertisers who answer quickly, approve sales on time and share campaign plans in advance. That reputation spreads, and it makes recruiting the next partner much easier.

Launch checklist

Choose one main network per country, based on its publisher base in your category.
Localise your site, product feed and checkout for each language and currency.
Offer the local payment methods shoppers expect: MobilePay, Swish, Vipps and invoice.
Set competitive commission and clear programme terms in the local language.
Recruit a mix of publisher types, not just coupon and cashback sites.
Plan your Black Week offers and send them to publishers early.

The Nordics reward advertisers who take each market seriously. With the right local networks, a localised shop and the payment methods shoppers trust, affiliate marketing can become one of your most profitable channels in the region.

Thinking about launching in Denmark, Sweden or Norway? Start with a free audit of your affiliate programme.