Swede Success: Swedish E-commerce Soars – We Share Our Top Picks

Even though it's looking like a pretty dark and dreary season for U.S. e-commerce, apparently said recession isn't affecting the Swedes. Thanks to WGSN, we picked up on a study released by the Swedish Research Institute of Trade, the national post office Posten AB, and the association of Swedish Distance Sellers that shows online sales in this Nordic nation are up 14.9% this year. Wow: blonde, blue eyes, AND good sales? Not fair. Meanwhile, over on this side of the pond… e-commerce sales have only grown 10% in 2008, as opposed to 17% last year. But we're not surprised. The following sites have been on our radar for a while now. We're not saying it's cheap though—$1 = 7.828 Krona. But remember, great style does have it's price.

Julian Red
Awesome jeans and casual wear - this label is a favorite of the buyers at Oak and Blackbird.

Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair
There's no explanation needed for these guys—at this point, they're a Swedish classic.

Branton
This site has a diverse, carefully chosen selection of Swedish must-haves like Minimarket and Camilla Norrback, plus a few newbie labels on the rise.

Mint & Vintage
You'll find a mix of vintage and new, Swedish and Danish, at this girly, but charming site. What more could you ask for?

Whyred
We've always loved their clothes, and their site just happens to be awesome, too.

Design Torget
An outlet for young Swedish product designers who are ready to strut their stuff, this site also provides free entertainment with their creative English translations (just hit the English flag in the top right corner).