The exchange rate of the Swedish krona, which has sunk to a record low, makes Finns even more eager to shop in Haaparanta.
“Half cheaper than in Finland”, they estimate Timo and Paula Haataja the price of their beer purchases in the yard of the shopping center in Haparanna on Thursday.
The Haatajas from Oulu bought a basket of four beers from a Swedish store for less than 30 euros. For the same amount, they estimate that they will pay at least 50–60 euros in Finland.
The value of the Swedish krona in relation to the euro has sunk to a record low, which makes shopping trips to Sweden now profitable for Finns.
This was visible in Haparanna, where the parking areas of shops were filled with Finnish cars. There was a particularly strong buzz in front of Systembolaget, i.e. Alko of Sweden.
In addition to beer, Haatajat loaded a large pallet of coffee in the back of the car. “Less than four euros a package, while in Finland the price is more than six euros,” explained Timo Haataja.
Paula and Timo Haataja loaded their shopping into the car in the yard of Coop-market and Systembolaget in Haaparanna.
The suitors recently traveled in Tallinn, where the same coffee package cost more than in Sweden.
“Same as wine. The prices of the Estonian ship have that too. Everything is bought at the same time, when you come here once.”
The suitors continued to Ikea in Haaparanta, where they thought that the prices were now significantly cheaper than in Ikeas on the Finnish side.
Instead, there was no intention to target the tank.
“It’s not worth refueling here, fuel is cheaper in Finland at the moment,” stated Timo Haataja.
For cheap of the crown has been talked about in Sweden throughout the beginning of the year. In the local media, the krona has already been labeled a “junk currency” several times.
When the krona weakens, a Finn gets more krona in his home currency, the euro. The exchange rate of the euro against the krona was 11.64 krona on Monday, while last year at the same time, one euro cost more than krona less. The last time the euro moved above 11.60 kroner was in the aftermath of the financial crisis in early 2009.
Border counseling coordinator Päivi Koivupalo to know that the entrepreneurs and merchants of Haaparanta are in a happy mood. That’s how lively Finnish shopping trips are on the other side of the western border.
“It’s worth buying there with euros. The crown is in such bad trouble.”
Koivupalo says that border trade went in waves, sometimes in one direction and sometimes in the other direction. This time the merchants are doing good sales in Haparanna, but this is a bad thing for the border merchants on the Finnish side.
Wine in tap packs, beer, energy drinks, as well as snuff and cigarettes are especially sought after from Haaparanna. More and more people also go grocery shopping.
Koivupalo reminds us that for the hundreds of people who live in Finland but go to work in Sweden, the decline of the krone has been a big pay cut.
“We are talking about a 15 percent salary cut.”
On the beach Koivupalo, who also lives there, does his grocery shopping in Haaparanta’s shops, where he has seen clearly new faces recently. “They are not from Torni, but may be from further away.”
A person from Torni in the yard of the large grocery store Ica Max Martti Huhta said that he will now concentrate all his food purchases in Sweden.
“Traveling has increased so that now we go twice a week and buy everything we need from the Swedish side. I haven’t calculated the savings, but the price level is affordable for us.”
Leena Pörhölä and Martti Huhta came grocery shopping to Ica Max in Haaparanta from Tornio.
Also Sakari and Leena Pörhölän The six-member Tornola family has begun to visit Ica Max again as the krone exchange rate drops.
“Sometimes we also go to shops in Finland. Swedish stores have a slightly different selection. Especially meat products are cheaper in Sweden. In the same way, sweets and candies have always been cheaper in Sweden,” said Sakari Pörhölä.
Sakari Pörhölä, from Tornio, thinks that now it is worth coming to Haaparanta’s shops for food shopping.
Ilmari Paavalniemi and Arttu Antinoja, from Kem, were on their way to catch salmon in the Kalix river in Sweden. On the way, they stopped at Haaparanna to buy soft drinks.
“Half cheaper than in Finland”, they estimate the price of the pallet they bought.
Ilmari Paavalniemi (in front) and Arttu Antinoja stopped by on their fishing trip to buy soft drinks.
To the euro moving is increasingly appealing in Sweden. On Wednesday according to the published survey, 30.6 percent of respondents would now vote in favor of switching to the euro. Although 50.5 percent are still in favor of staying in the krona, the popularity of the common currency is now at its highest since the eurozone debt crisis.
Leena Nieminen and Ilkka Kivistö drove to Haaparanna all the way from Lahti. The destination was a friend’s cottage in Oulujärvi, but deviating to Systembolaget, or Alko in Sweden, paid off financially.
“I knew that the price level is cheaper here, but it was a surprise that I saw so much,” said Nieminen when he looked at his receipt.
“The price difference in wine is insane. In Finland, three liters costs thirty, but here the price is around 18 euros.”
The couple did their food shopping at Prisma in Kemi. The range and quality weighed in the balance, and they don’t think the price difference is that significant either.
“There are offers in Finland as well,” said Kivistö.
Leena Nieminen and Ilkka Kivistö from Lahti were on their way to Oulujärvi via Haaparanta.
The weakening of the krone means that products imported to Sweden and Swedes’ travel abroad are more expensive than before. At the same time, travel by Finns to Sweden has become more affordable.
They live in Oulu Mirka Ojala and Jari Tornikoski said they were considering a holiday trip to Sweden this summer.
“Recently, many people have visited the Swedish side in a hotel from Oulu. The destination is nearby and affordable”, they reasoned.
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