E-commerce giant Amazon has officially opened its Swedish website.

Customers in Sweden will have access to over 150 million products across 30 categories, Reuters reports.

Swedish consumers could previously use Amazon through its sites in other countries in Europe, such as Germany, but this often resulted in high delivery costs.

Alex Ootes, vice president for EU Expansion at Amazon, said: "We are pleased to open the doors to Amazon.se and offer Swedish consumers a selection of more than 150 million products, including tens of thousands from local Swedish businesses.”

The company went on to add that orders priced over 229 crowns and shipping from Amazon’s distribution centre would be delivered free of charge.

The majority of deliveries would be made by Postnord, and consumers will also have a priority shipping option, with two-day deliveries.
Although the plans for Amazon’s arrival in Sweden have been mooted for several years, they were confirmed this summer following rumours, speculation and heated debates as to the pros and cons of the online retail giant, reports The Local.
It is not yet known how the launch of Amazon Sweden will impact Swedish businesses, but the majority of analysts agree that it will predominantly challenge physical stores.
Nicklas Storåkers, CEO of price comparison site Pricerunner, told TT earlier this month: "Those are going to be the big losers. If you're not already in a tough situation, you're going to get one now.”
Shares of budget DIY and homewares retailer Clas Ohlson, fashion specialist Boozt AB, and e-books seller Storytel declined at the start of August when Amazon first unveiled plans to launch in Sweden, Reuters reports.
Earlier this month, Amazon introduced a 91-megawatt power project in Sweden to support Amazon Web Services data centres and growing its retail business. Moreover, it is expected to deliver 280,000-megawatt hours of clean energy every year for the Swedish grid.