What Swedish consumer data reveals about how purchase decisions are made
Swedish consumer research from Nepa’s Age of Influence study points to a purchase landscape that is more fragmented, more generationally polarised, and more influenced by AI than media planning frameworks typically account for. The data across the study produces a consistent picture of how discovery, research, and decision-making actually work for Swedish consumers today.
Friends and family are the primary source of product inspiration for 54% of consumers — more than any paid channel. Online search and customer reviews follow at 40%, then social media advertising at 37%.
Media usage is substantially polarised by generation. Gen Z concentrates on social advertising, influencer content, and conversational AI. Older consumers concentrate on television, radio, and print. A plan designed for reach across a broad adult demographic can, in practice, be heavily misaligned with both groups.
Consumer inspiration organises into four modes: social influence (72%), digital research (65%), conventional advertising (57%), and emerging digital channels including AI (17%). Most purchase journeys move across more than one mode.
Among Gen Z, 24% use conversational AI for product inspiration — already ahead of television and radio advertising for that group. Among all consumers who used AI in their most recent purchase, 36% bought the product it recommended.
Even in planned purchases, one in ten consumers changes brand or product during the decision process. In home appliances, that figure rises to 20%.
Taken together, the data supports a more structured approach to media planning — one that accounts for which inspiration mode matters most for a given category and audience, how the brand story maintains coherence from social discovery through to the point of purchase, and where in the journey consumers are most susceptible to switching.
The Age of Influence is a consumer research study by Nepa. The Swedish sample comprises 1,372 respondents aged 16–74, surveyed between 27 June and 18 July 2025.
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FAQ
Quick answers to questions you might have
What is Nepa’s Age of Influence study?
The Age of Influence is a consumer research study by Nepa examining how Swedish consumers discover, research and decide on purchases across product categories. It covers media channel usage, generational differences, conversational AI behaviour, and in-process brand switching.
What is the most used product discovery channel in Sweden?
Friends, family and acquaintances are cited by 54% of Swedish consumers as a source of product inspiration — more than online search and reviews (40%), social media advertising (37%) or television and radio advertising (29%), according to Nepa’s Age of Influence study.
How much does consumer media behaviour differ by generation in Sweden?
Substantially. Nepa’s Age of Influence study finds that Gen Z over-indexes on social media advertising, influencer content and conversational AI, while Boomers over-index on television, radio, print and in-store displays. Friends and family (54%) and online search (40%) are the most consistent channels across all age groups.
How widely used is conversational AI in Swedish purchase decisions?
Among all Swedish consumers, 4% used conversational AI for purchasing advice in their most recent purchase. Among Gen Z, the figure rises to 10%. Of those who used AI in the purchase process, 36% ultimately bought the product it recommended, according to Nepa’s Age of Influence study.
In which product categories is brand switching most common in Sweden?
Home appliances show the highest in-process switching rate at 20%, followed by personal electronics (16%), personal care and cosmetics, shoes and clothing, and toys and children’s products (each at 13%), and sports and hobby equipment (12%), according to Nepa’s Age of Influence study.