Short food supply, romantic farm stays and historic gardens. The Helgøya peninsula in the heart of Norway’s largest lake is a summer idyll.
Nes and Helgøya is the heart of Mjøsa’s discovery route. Surrounded by the beautiful lake Mjøsa, the road meanders through a lush, rolling cultural landscape and past large and small farms, beautiful gardens, welcoming restaurants, outlets selling local products, and more. There is always something to see or do – whether you drive, explore by bicycle, arrive by boat, or go by foot.
Helgøya is an 18.3-square-kilometer (7.1 sq mi) island in the lake Mjøsa, located in Ringsaker Municipality. The island is the largest freshwater island in Norway and has been connected to the mainland by the Nessundet Bridge since 1957.
On a late summer day, the smell of flowers and chlorophyll hangs over Helgøya like a sweet perfume. But it’s not just wild plants that thrive here. First-class solar conditions and a mineral-rich soil have made the area one of Norway’s most productive food bowls since the early Iron Age.
Wood hotel, Brumunddal. Photo: Visit Innlandet.
Attractions within easy reach
Attractions are varied and within easy reach of each other. Accommodation is available at campsites, manor farms, or in welcoming private holiday homes. The renowned Wood hotel, the world’s tallest timber building, is not far away either. In short, the perfect holiday destination – for a day or a whole week!
The island consists of 32 farms. The most notable of these are the old manor Hovinsholm which had its own church until 1612. Another old farm is Eik (‘oak’) which is the source of the name of the tallest hill on the island: Eksberget. Another farm is Høvelsrud with its 17th century gardens. The island is generally rich in traces of medieval history.
Some call Helgøya Norway’s Toascana. Photo: Visit Innlandet.
Norway’s Toscana
Some call it Norway’s Toascana. Flowers, bees and tourists in beautiful harmony. Between June and September, the otherwise sleepy Helgøya bustles with activity. Shouts of joy can be heard through the forest from the inland’s largest climbing park. Tent pitches fill up at Skurven bathing area, while small boats from Gjøvik and Hamar dock to eat baked potatoes at Nessundet bridge.
In the Heart of Norway’s Largest Lake, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): Helgøya. Photo: Statsforvalteren
The Port of Rønne in Denmark has announced a new study investigating the possibility of using renewable energy from a so-called Bornholm Energy Island in the Baltic Sea. In this way, Russian gas will be replaced by joint German-Danish offshore wind hub.
To strengthen energy security in Europe, Northern European countries are discussing plans, but the ambitious proposal faces financing and regulatory challenges. According to German and Danish governments, A 9 billion-euro ($9 billion) offshore wind power hub in the Baltic Sea will mark a significant step in the process of weaning Europe off its reliance on Russian gas.
German and Danish TSOs form Bornholm Energy Island.
As a starting point, the parties will examine a number of aspects of Power-to-X production from manufacturing and economics to possibilities for connection of electrical systems and district heating systems on Bornholm and across the Baltic Sea.
“The more interdependent we become in Europe, the more independent we will become from Russia,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters during a visit in May to the Danish port of Esbjerg.
The so-called Bornholm Energy Island will link several wind parks and distribute the energy they produce between the two countries. The project will have capacity of more than 3 gigawatts — enough power for as many as 4.5 million households – after it begins operation in 2030.
Port of Rønne.
Production of Power-to-X green fuels is a completely new type of industry that has not been previously studied on Bornholm. Therefore, part of the study will focus on investigating where on the island a plant and warehouse could be constructed.
“We all know green power generation is great. But if you really want to use it, you need a grid and there, we have to step up,” said von der Leyen.
“The more interdependent we become in Europe, the more independent we will become from Russia,” says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: Offshore Wind
“It’s the first time in Europe that two countries cooperate on such a project,” German Energy Minister Robert Habeck said in a phone interview with Bloomberg.
The Power-to-X survey is expected to be completed within a year and will culminate in a business case. It’s, however, unclear how huge amounts of green power can be exchanged across borders without overloading already strained onshore grids or creating a spaghetti bowl of cables on the seabed.
The Power-to-X study is a natural extension of the work on the Bornholm Bunker Hub and as such will investigate how large amounts of green fuel can be sold on Bornholm and whether some fuels can be sold for heavy land transport and industry on the island.
Danes mimick nature to create Energy Island.
“There are also talks with Norway, the Netherlands and Germany about future projects,” said Hanne Storm Edlefsen, who is in charge of developing energy islands at Energinet.
The Energy Island, located on the island of Bornholm, some 15 kilometers offshore, will connect Germany and Denmark to an offshore hub with around 2 GW of offshore wind power capacity and will need 3 billion euros of investment for infrastructure and 6 billion euros for the offshore wind park, according to the Danish government.
“What is completely new is that we see the build-out of renewables as something which is done best jointly,” Danish Climate and Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen told Reuters.
The German network operator 50Hertz and its Danish counterpart Energinet, which will build the energy hub and the connection to the mainland, will share both the costs and profits of the project.
Denmark approved the development of the Baltic Sea and North Sea energy islands back in June 2020, and Energinet was given the task of conducting feasibility studies for both projects.
The European Commission aims to increase Europe’s offshore wind capacity from its current level of 12 gigawatts to 300 gigawatts by 2050.
Russian Gas Will be Replaced by Joint German-Danish Offshore Wind Hub, written by Tor Kjolberg
Nordic Sport and Norges Hopplandslaget, Norway’s national governing body for ski jumping, have announced a formal partnership to advance the sport worldwide that will see both organizations working together and coaching athletes at training camps in both nations. Learn more aboutUnited States and Norway in Partnership to Advance Ski Jumping Worldwide.
USA Nordic Sport and Norges Hopplandslaget announced last month that their national ski jumping teams will share coaches, training facilities, sports science data and efforts to attract sponsors as part of a four-year agreement.
At the Beijing Games in February, Marius Lindvik of Norway won Olympic gold in ski jumping on the large hill. Photo: Olympics
The partnership has been approved by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and is designed to elevate training, coaching and athlete performance in the discipline of Ski Jumping, which has been included in the Winter Olympic Games since 1924 and the annual FIS Ski Jumping World Cup since 1979. Norway has won more Olympic ski jumping medals and gold medals than any country while the United States has won one medal all-time in the Games. Norway is leading the world with 12 Olympic golds and 36 medals overall. At the Beijing Games in February, Marius Lindvik of Norway won Olympic gold in ski jumping on the large hill.
The combined team will be led by Norwegian Clas Brede Bråthen.
The combined team will be led by Norwegian Clas Brede BråthenTom Bickner, USA Nordic Sport board chair. Photo: USA Nordic Sport
“Norwegian ski jumping has been recognized as one of the best in the world since the first world record in ski jumping was set in 1808 by Olaf Rye,“ said Tom Bickner, USA Nordic Sport board chair. “Our organizations are partnering for athlete development, coaches’ education, national team training, sport science and sponsorship efforts because it is the best way to transform the sport of ski jumping. Our mutual goal is to make our sport more relevant and exciting for young women and men around the world.”
Under terms of the partnership, the staff of both organizations will work in collaboration to coach athletes from the United States and Norway in training camps that will be held at world class ski jumping facilities in both nations. The U.S. and Norwegian national teams will share sport science and work together to establish and secure global sponsors to back the unified teams as they train to compete for FIS Championships and the Winter Olympic games medals. The agreement spans up to four years and will be governed by a formal charter and an oversight committee.
The agreement spans up to four years and will be governed by a formal charter and an oversight committee. Photo: Wikipedia
“When it comes to the discipline of competitive ski jumping, our goal is to solidify Norway’s position as the most important ski jumping nation in the world,” said Clas Brede Bråthen. “Combining the resources of the U.S. and Norway will help fulfill our intense desire to be a leader pushing the sport of ski jumping to the highest possible level worldwide.”
“FIS applauds the unprecedented agreement between Norway and the United States to collaborate toward achieving athletic greatness,” said Sandro Pertile, FIS Race Director for Ski Jumping. Photo: interia.pl
“FIS applauds the unprecedented agreement between Norway and the United States to collaborate toward achieving athletic greatness,” said Sandro Pertile, FIS Race Director for Ski Jumping. “Both organizations are committed to setting new standards, processes and approaches that can be shared with other ski jumping teams worldwide. Our organizations and athletes are proudly showing our children and the world how we can work together to achieve greatness.”
About USA Nordic Sport
USA Nordic Sport (USANS) is the National Leadership Organization for the original Olympic disciplines of Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined in the United States. Founded in 2007, USANS is a 501 (c)(3) committed to ensuring the survival and success of Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined throughout the country. Built by alumni and driven by former athletes, we are focused on growing and promoting our sports while operating international elite team programs with the goal to be the best in the world. USA Nordic “Elite Athletes” represent the best in the country in their sports and compete as a team at the national and international levels. More information on USA Nordic can be found at usanordic.org or its social media channels @usanordic.
About Norges Hopplandslaget Hopplandslaget represents Norway’s National Ski Jumping Team. The male and female athletes came together as one team in 2021, The Norwegian Ski Association (NSF) dates back to 1908. Our goal is to be “the most important Ski Jumping nation in the world,” by always prioritizing the development of the sport. We do this through our core values, “Respect, Humbleness and Joy.” Hopplandslaget consists of athletes who have won the World Cup, the World Championship, Olympic Champions and Ski Flying Champions. Please visit skiforbundet.no or our social media @hopplandslaget for further information.
About FIS FIS is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding, founded in 1924 during the first Olympic Games in Chamonix, France. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIS manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding, including setting the international competition rules. Through its 132 member nations, more than 500 FIS ski and snowboard competitions are staged annually. Specific initiatives are undertaken by FIS to promote snow activities as a healthy leisure recreation, notably for the young. For more information, please visit www.fis-ski.com.
United States and Norway in Partnership to Advance Ski Jumping Worldwide, written by Tor Kjolberg.
If you’ve taken the time to plan a dream Scandinavian vacation, the last thing you want is to get sick while you’re away. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t take health and safety precautions lightly. It doesn’t take much for a virus to pass from one person to another, especially now that many COVID safety precautions have been lifted. That’s whyprioritizing health and safety on your next Scandinavian vacation is important.
So, it’s important to remember you’re in good health before you leave. Not only will prioritizing your health and safety for your vacation keep you feeling better, but it will help to protect those around you on your travels.
Thankfully, it’s easier than you might think to stay safe and healthy before and during a vacation. Let’s cover a few tips you can use to prioritize your health before you go, so you can make the most of your trip.
Do you have any signs or symptoms of a cold or flu? Photo: Towfigu Barbhulya/Unsplash
Take Stock of Your Health Airlines don’t require you to do health screenings before hopping on board, and most aren’t even requiring temperature checks anymore. However, it’s a good idea to “check in” with yourself in the days before you leave. How are you feeling? Do you have any signs or symptoms of a cold or flu? Some of the common early signs include:
Stuffy nose
Sneezing
Cough
Sore throat
Low-grade fever
Body aches
Even if these symptoms aren’t bothering you too much, they could become worse on your trip, and you’ll run the risk of infecting others. Think that risk is low? Keep this in mind – people are more likely to spread diseases via air travel than mosquitoes!
When you look at it from that perspective, you begin to see how important it is to be healthy before you step on a plane. If you’re worried that you might be getting sick and you absolutely have to go, take extra precautions. Consider wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, and steering clear of others as much as possible.
Scandinavian countriues take recommendations from the WHO. Photo: CDC/Unsplash
Get the Proper Vaccinations Certain countries recommend (and sometimes require) that visitors receive specific vaccinations before entering. Norway, for example, doesn’t have any vaccine requirements (including COVID-19). However, they take recommendations from the WHO and suggest that people visiting the country have the following vaccinations:
Hepatitis A & B
Rabies
Meningitis
Polio
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Tdap
Chickenpox
Shingles
Pneumonia
Influenza
It’s a good rule of thumb to look at the general health advice of the country you’re visiting before you go. Take a look at their recommendations or requirements and get to know their healthcare systems so you won’t be confused or overwhelmed if you need any kind of medical care or attention during your vacation. As another example, Sweden has dropped all COVID-19-related travel restrictions. You don’t need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test before entering the country. However, that doesn’t mean those things aren’t still good! You might consider testing yourself before you go, just in case, and having your vaccination card in case any private businesses in the country still require it.
It’s also important to prepare with any toiletries, medications, and skincare you’ll need. Photo: Cheyenne Doug/Unsplash
Prioritizing Health and Safety on Your Next Scandinavian Vacation – read on…..
Prepare Your Body
If you’re heading to Scandinavia from the U.S., you already likely know there are going to be some cultural differences. However, fewer people think about the environmental differences, and how they might impact your health.
For example, the weather throughout Scandinavia can be pretty unpredictable, especially during certain seasons. Make sure you’re doing your research ahead of time to know what type of gear to pack, and how to protect yourself.
It’s also important to prepare with any toiletries, medications, and skincare you’ll need. Did you know that “quarantine skin” is an actual thing? Throughout the pandemic, things like spending too much time indoors and excess stress contributed to a host of skin issues for many people. From acne to eczema, these conditions have become more prominent, and heading to a new environment/climate can irritate your skin even more. Make sure you have the right creams and medications to keep your skin healthy and protected. Consider visiting some relaxing spots on your vacation, like a sauna or spa, to reduce stress and manage both your mental and physical well-being.
Consider visiting some relaxing spots on your vacation, like a sauna or spa, to reduce stress and manage both your mental and physical well-being. Photo: Etienne Girardet/Unsplash
It’s also important to consider what you’ll be doing on your vacation. Do you plan to be very active, hiking every day to view some of the area’s incredible views? Make sure you’re physically capable of that kind of activity and strain. It might seem like a small thing to consider, but getting yourself in shape will make a big difference in how good you’ll feel on your trip.
You should never pass up a trip to Scandinavia, no matter the type of year. However, it’s more important than ever to prioritize health and safety, and that starts with you planning and preparing ahead of time. Keep these ideas in mind as you’re putting together your perfect vacation, and you’ll be able to enjoy it peacefully and in good health.
Ainsley Lawrence
Prioritizing Health and Safety on Your Next Scandinavian Vacation, written dedicately for Daily Scandinavian by Ainsley Lawrence. Ainsley is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She is frequently lost in a good book.
Pears are popular as a dessert fruit in Scandinavia. We love eating ripe pears with delicious matured cheese, including blue cheese and crispbread. This is way better than eating cheese with the ubiquitous grapes, which can make cheese taste like soap. Learn more about Scandinavian pear.
There is no real tradition of using pears in the kitchen, except for a few highlights. Pears will grow only in southern Scandinavia. In general, the pears we grow are the same as the rest of Europe, but we have a few very old cultivars, including the gråpære (‘grey pear) pyrus communis, a small wonderfully perfumed, juicy pear which is perfect for pickling.
The pears we grow in Scandinavia are the same as the rest of Europe. Photo: coop.no
Pears in elderberry syrup This is a very Nordic take on the French or Italian recipe for pears in red wine. It has a beautiful autumnal feel to it and a surprising rich flavor. The elderberry cordial can be replaced with other strongly colored/flavored fruit-juices such as cherry, blackberry, lingonberry or blackcurrant, just remember to adjust the sweetening.
4 large or 8 small slightly underripe pears
½ liter unsweetened elderberry cordial
200g sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Serves 4
Pears in elderberry syrup.
Peal the pears, keeping them whole and leaving the stalks on. Place in a deep, heavy-based pan, then add the rest of the ingredients. Heat gently and let the fruit simmer over a low heat until the pears are tender; turning them gently once in a while. The cooking time will vary a lot depending on the cultivar and ripeness of the fruit.
Take the pears out with a slotted spoon, then reduce the liquid to a thick syrup. Taste it for sweetness and add more sugar if required; this needs to be a sweet dessert, but not too sweet. Once it has cooled, pour the syrup over the pears in a pretty deep serving dish. Serve them cold as they are, or with cardamom ice cream.
When Hafjell was awarded the World Cup final in downhill biking in 2012, it was confirmation of what many visitors had claimed for many years – that the facility is on par with the very best in the world. Hafjell is often compared to what is considered to be the world’s best place for mountain biking – the alpine resort of Whistler in Canada. Whistler is considerably larger, but with the same focus on man-made trails and obstacles. Learn more about Hafjell Bike Park in Lillehammer, Norway.
Hafjell Bike Park is known for its nice atmosphere and the variety of amazing trails suiting every kind of rider. Regardless if you are a freerider, racehead, weekend warrior or a curios beginner, you will find what your biking heart desires here. Hafjell offers 14 trails, covering 25 km in total, with a level of difficulty ranging from green to black spread over an elevation of 790 meters. It is one of the most progressive bike parks in Europe and keeps expanding at a high pace to keep the position as an ultimate mountain bike playground. Common for the trails in Hafjell Bike Park is that they never fail to deliver some massive grins.
Hafjell Bike Park is the biggest lift-accessed bike park in Norway. The concept is to use the ski lifts for transport up, and then cycle down the slopes in the same way as when skiing or snowboarding in the winter. The 19 specially built trails wind down the forest that surrounds the alpine slopes, and have a lot of fun elements adapted to all skill levels.
Mountain Bike UK reported that Hafjell Bike Park was “one of the best places in the world to roll your wheels”.
Hafjell Bike Park is known for its nice atmosphere and the variety of amazing trails suiting every kind of rider.
Hafjell Bike Park is a hectic place during the summer and have been hosting a wide range of events through the years such as several Norwegian cup`s, 2 Norwegian Championships, Nordic and Scandinavian Championships, 2010 European Championship, the legendary ANTI Days of Thunder invitational events. In 2012, the Rocky Roads UCI Mountain Bike Downhill world cup presented by Shimano made its first appearance here in Hafjell. This event was a huge success and has given Hafjell Bike Park the opportunity to do world cup in 2013 and the UCI MTB World Championship in 2014.
The downhill trails are ranked from green to black, where green is the easiest, and black is for the more experienced cyclists. It’s recommended to use a downhill bike, full protection and full helmet, but all mountain bikes with suspension and good hydraulic disc brakes can be used on the trails. Children should be 8 years old to cycle downhill. The youngest children can instead bike in the pumptrack, walk our diamond hunt circuit and play in the climbing park at Mosetertoppen.
Downhill bikes were mass produced from the 1990s, with disc brakes and specially adapted frame design and damper suspension systems. The first downhill competition was held in California in 1976.
As well as offering some of the best downhill riding around, there is also an endless network of flowing single track and gravel roads to explore in the surrounding area. The gondola gives you access to all this as well as the family area at Mosetertoppen. Here you will find a variety of activities and the chance to enjoy a delicious lunch with spectacular views from restaurant Skavlen.
Hafjell Bike Park is the biggest lift-accessed bike park in Norway.
“Tuborg is a Danish cultural icon — it’s more than just a beer brand,” says David Timothy, managing director at Robot Food. Danish beer brand Tuborg wanted to unify and strengthen the entire brand world to ensure its relevance for Danes today. The Leeds-based strategic agency Robot Food was winning the project in 2020, following a three-way pitch and working on it throughout 2021. Read more about theBritish branding company refreshing Danish cultural icon Tuborg.
The refreshed designs look to emphasise Tuborg as a “proud parent brand,” as Timothy puts it, harmonising the primary packaging around the brand’s ‘clockman’ device — a well-known icon in Denmark. The agency also introduced a redrawn Tuborg wordmark, which was created with assistance from typographer Rob Clarke.
“By consistently applying these two assets we created headroom to express the individuality and often longstanding personality of each beer, whilst never losing the link to the parent brand,” says Timothy.
The refreshed design harmonising the primary packaging around the brand’s ‘clockman’ device — a well-known icon in Denmark.
Tuborg’s core range comprises four core beers (Grøn, Classic, Guld, and Nul) and two seasonals (Julebryg and Paskebryg) as standard, and Robot Food also worked on designs for three new range extensions: Nul Fruit, Grøn Organic, and Guld Passionfruit.
Grøn (or ‘green’, the standard lager) and Classic together equate to around 88% of Tuborg’s sales.
Not just for dads The brief was centred on making category leader Tuborg more relevant to all Danes today — as well as increasing on-shelf standout and recognition. It was also vital that Tuborg retained its existing loyal customer base, while recruiting new consumers into the category.
Man wearing a tee at a Tuborg festival.
Like many beer brands, Tuborg had concerns that it was losing relevance — especially among younger consumers. This chimes with the broader global trend among drinkers aged 18-25 of a more ‘all or nothing’ mentality rather than the ‘little and often’ approach of older generations.
“Lots of new drinkers or potential new drinkers are coming to the category and either choosing not to drink at all or looking at alternatives. Tuborg, like other brands, was losing favour with that demographic” says Timothy. “Drinking the beer your dad drinks can feel like the antithesis of cool.”
Classic Scandinavian design values Prior to this refresh, Tuborg hadn’t undergone a holistic brand refresh for decades, which had led to something of a mishmash of different styles across individual products, packs, touchpoints, sizes, and variants.
Tuborg Grøn in an ice bucket.
“There’s a sense of classicism in Denmark: if you look at the fundamentals of things like furniture design, the style and aesthetic doesn’t really change much over time” says Ben Brears, Robot Food Creative Director. “You do it once, do it well, then just polish it a little bit.”
Robot Food’s challenge with Tuborg was in navigating numerous different design elements that had varying degrees of resonance with consumers.
Initially, the Robot Food team set about ‘deconstructing’ the incumbent Tuborg designs, looking at everything from shapes to colours, fonts, placement of design elements, and the architecture of individual labels, going on to boil everything down to a ‘kit of parts’.
Once deconstructed, Robot Food examined which elements to amplify and which to pare back to create simplicity and ensure that the strongest, most recognisable and iconic elements came to the fore.
A prouder Tuborg flag Alongside creating the new packaging design system, Robot Food also built a full brand world for Tuborg that extended across on and off-trade communications, photography, merch, and digital platforms.
The brand world needed to unite the various Tuborg ranges under a prouder Tuborg flag that felt more relevant to modern consumers, while allowing each range to be expressive and distinct to its individual usage occasion.
The brand positioning was based around the idea of “fællesskab”, or community, with the beer shown to play a vital role in uniting people from all walks of life. This was brought to life for the brand world executions through a creative idea that Robot Food dubbed “in the action” – placing the consumer at the heart of the moment through reportage-style photography with an unfiltered, spontaneous aesthetic that celebrates togetherness in a way that’s unique to Tuborg.
The agency also took the brand’s iconic ‘clockman’ asset off-pack for the first time, putting it at the heart of the Tuborg universe and using it as a lens through which to access that sense of “fællesskab”.
Visual clockman design.
With the ‘clockman’ in place as a unifying and consistent brand element on- and off-pack, Robot Food then worked to amplify the personality of each beer, dialling up the nuances in activations and image styles appropriate to each beer variant.
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” Robot Food was aware that as a British agency approaching a Danish icon, ultimately it was about listening to the brand team and the consumers themselves.
“We were brought in to offer a fresh perspective and not be led by what they had before, but you’ve always got to be respectful” says Brears. “A great client is one who’s really open and listens to what you’re saying and loves to be challenged, but who knows the consumer really well and helps you find that sweet spot. For some, these changes might seem minimal, but it was never about throwing the baby out with the bath water. The assets and system we’ve been able to establish helps set Tuborg up for a really progressive future”.
“A good redesign is often about understanding the assets you’ve already got and amplifying them in new ways,” Timothy adds. “Our job is to listen, learn, and understand just as much as it is to come up with interesting creative. That’s when the relationship really works, because the client trusts you to know where you can push it, and also where you have to rein it in.”
“The past two-ish years have been some of my best at Carlsberg. From the first pitch to where we are today,” says Louise Dandanell,Nielsen, Marketing Manager at Tuborg Denmark.
Louise Dandanell Nielsen, Marketing Manager at Tuborg Denmark says, “The past two-ish years have been some of my best at Carlsberg. From the first pitch to where we are today, Robot Food’s understanding of our local needs and vulnerabilities, dedication, craft, and (most importantly) sense of humour have made the process such a joy. It’s very easy for us to be happy clients – every meeting is like spending time with family.”
The new designs began to roll out in Denmark for the core brands from early 2022, and the rest of the packaging designs and brand world elements such as the new photography style, point of sale materials, advertising, and merchandise are currently being rolled out.
About Robot Food: Robot Food is a fiercely independent branding agency based in Leeds, UK. Since 2009 the team has partnered with global clients of all shapes, sizes and categories to deliver compelling consumer-led brands, grounded in disruptive, strategic thinking. Known for their entrepreneurial attitude, commercial understanding and ‘no-fluff’ end-to-end approach, Robot Food specialise the creation and repositioning of brands with cut-through strategy & design for clients including the likes of Carlsberg, Breez, Co-op and Arla Foods, as well as creating and launching Robot Food’s own brand Stories & Ink. Visit: https://www.robot-food.com/ for more information.
British Branding Company Refreshing Danish Cultural icon Tuborg, is based on a press release from Tuborg.
BPNL – Buy Now Pay Later – has revolutionized the online retail and consumer credit market. Swedish company Klarna is perhaps the most well-known company in this space and is now the second most valuable fintech startup in the world (after Stripe) after it recently announced a $45.6bn valuation after its latest fundraise. What do you know about BNPL? Read on to learn more.
Over the past few years, BNPL has gone from a niche payment method to one of the hottest trends in payments. According to research and interviews conducted as a part of our article Latest Ecommerce Trends for Holiday Season 2022, this is the year that BNPL will become a mainstream payment method.
BPNL explained
BPNL is expected to reach $680 billion in transaction volume worldwide by 2025. The need to balance oversight with consumer protection will, however, lead to regulations, but on the other hand will the emergence of new innovative solutions and business models take place. As competition heats up and new players enter the market, banks will naturally get in on the action to protect their market share.
In the UK, the use of BNPL products nearly quadrupled in 2020 and is now at £2.7 billion, with 5 million people using these products since the start of the pandemic. The rise of BPNLs has left traditional providers, banks, online merchants, payment providers and regulators alike all around the world scrambling to keep up.
Installment payment plans are nothing new; retailers like furniture and electronics stores have allowed customers to pay off large purchases in installments for decades. Buy now, pay later brings the concept into the digital age by allowing any retailer to offer installment payments for any product, no matter how small, both online and in-store.
Over the past few years, BNPL has gone from a niche payment method to one of the hottest trends in payments.
The BPNL-model is essentially based on two things: being able to split payments in equal parts and the ability to pay later. So, the model is easy to replicate across industries and BPNL companies are differentiating themselves by entering new markets. All kinds of fintech start-ups are jumping on the bandwagon – be it travel, insurance, healthcare, B2B trading, or even blockchain and crypto currency.
The benefits of BNPL to the consumer are well known. Paying for goods in installments with no interest charges gives them much more flexibility than a traditional credit card. In turn, e-commerce providers are able to keep their customers happy with more payment options at the checkout. Another big player in this space, Clearpay, has said that in average, firms using its service experience a 30% boost in the value of orders. Having BNPL options on a website has become a must for retailers in order to maximize sales.
Klarna partnered with Expedia Group to allow their customers to “travel now, pay later” and recently acquired Inspirock, an online trip planner which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend trips based on a person’s interests. Also, Affirm has partnered with American Airlines to allow passengers to “fly now, pay later”.
Affirm has partnered with American Airlines to allow passengers to “fly now, pay later”.
When browsing products online, customers may see the BNPL installment price on the product page, which helps make the product feel more affordable. Consumers can also choose BNPL at checkout. In addition, some issuers and financial institutions are now offering buy now, pay later so that cardholders can pay for specific transactions in installments, allowing them to better manage cash flow and potentially avoid late fees.
Not unexpectedly, this has given criticism and brought BNPLs into the view of regulators. Critics argue that many of its Millennial and Gen-Z userbases are taking on debt that they cannot service and that the lure of interest-free installments and no-hidden fees lead to over-spending. It’s also been suggested that BNPL users aren’t always aware that they are entering into credit agreements that could result in late payment fees. Another consumer issue highlights the requirement for consumer to first contact the merchant to get credit for a return or refund, unlike credit-card issuers, which typically stop payments when a transaction is disputed.
Klarne founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski
As the BNPL model expands into other industries, insuretech company Ascend is expanding its BNPL commercial insurance offering using payments APIs that automate end-to-end insurance payments. In healthcare, US fintech start-up Walnut partners with healthcare providers to allow patients to pay by instalments.
According to Juniper Research, BNPL payments are expected to account for nearly a quarter of all global ecommerce transactions by 2026, up from just 9% in 2021. The payment type skews younger, with eMarketer forecasting 44% of Gen Z and 37% of millennials making a BNPL payment in 2022, compared to 23% of Gen X and 9.4% of baby boomers. It’s a payment type that attracts all audiences, particularly Gen Z and millennials.
Critics argue that many of its Millennial and Gen-Z userbases are taking on debt that they cannot service and that the lure of interest-free installments and no-hidden fees lead to over-spending.
Earlier this year, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority published a review that concluded that regulation was essential to protect users of BNPL products and make the market more sustainable. The review came up with 26 recommendations, including affordability checks, provision of debt advice, making more alternatives to high-cost credit available and ensuring that regulation does not focus simply on affordability but on conduct across the lifetime of the product. Meanwhile, Australian regulators are reviewing rules for BNPLs, and experts have also predicted greater scrutiny in the US under the Biden administration.
Banks are seeing a share of their credit card and consumer loan revenue cannibalized by BNPL lenders. The time is right for banks to enter the BNPL market but having the right market entry strategy and business model is key to succeeding. Being a regulated industry, banks are experienced in regulatory compliance and credit underwriting and have the data and customer base to compete in this space. Banks are also well placed to determine affordability and can personalize BNPL offers based on a customer’s risk profile using their financial data. But they will have to act fast or risk missing the boat.
Some of the BNPL players
According to a recent Visa survey, Canadian consumers increased their adoption of installment payments by 30% within the previous 12 months, with installment payments in Canada estimated to account for $50 billion annually.
While awaiting the form of any upcoming regulation, it’s clear that some of the suggestions from the UK’s Wooland review are eminently sensible. BPNL has brought simple, flexible and instant purchasing power to the consumer, but it can’t be at the expense of responsible lending. As UK MPs were right to point out, no one wants to see another Wonga. Regulatory scrutiny of the sector is necessary to ensure that all customers are treated fairly by raising standards in responsible lending.
As BNPL players scale and increase engagement, we can expect to see super apps offering a combination of shopping, financing, payments, and banking products. Klarna, Affirm and PayPal have already joined the fray and launched their own super apps. Klarna’s super app transforms the BNPL giant into an end-to-end shopping hub, enabling shoppers to use their instalment service at any online retailer, whether they are partnered with Klarna or not.
PayPal’s super app offers an all-in-one financial and shopping solution. PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said the company wanted to provide customers with a “customized and unique shopping, financial services, and payments experience”.
BPNL statistics
According to Bloomberg, China could see BNPL account for $58 billion in sales within the next three years.
I believe, however, that any regulation has to be light touch and cannot stifle the progress of BNPLs. After the pandemic, countries all over the world must ease the burden of red tape on the industry in order to stay competitive.
That being said, BNPL providers should develop an Open Banking strategy and start building their platforms, partnering with third-party providers or making acquisitions in preparation for regulation. Open Banking will transform the way credit risk and affordability checks are done and enable BNPL lenders to make more accurate affordability and lending decisions.
In December last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a series of orders to five major BNPL providers to collect information about the risks and benefits of their solution. The CFPB is concerned about the potential for consumers to accumulate debt too quickly.
Allowing innovation in finance would also help BNPLs to grab business from traditional credit cards. BNPL helped UK consumers to save over £75 million in interest payments in 2020 instead of credit cards. As more consumers choose BNPL, the potential savings on interest payments will only increase.
Buy Now Pay Later is expanding across industries and competing with banks for revenue share, and the time is ripe for disruption. Banks and larger competitors, such as global merchants, entering the BNPL arena must carefully consider their market strategy and build compelling and scalable business models to stay competitive.
Regulators around the globe are similarly weighing their options. PYMNTS notes that the UK is currently exploring whether or not the exemption in the Consumer Credit Act for delayed payment of goods and services applies to BNPL. The European Commission and Australia may also seek to regulate BNPL within the next year.
It’s a payment type that attracts all audiences, particularly Gen Z and millennials.
Collectively, the industry has a duty to ensure that it provides consumers with the necessary information to make the right purchasing choices whilst also protecting them should anything go awry.
The future of retail is upon us, and we have to capitalize on the opportunity to make Scandinavia a global hub for innovation while also establishing a new customer credit environment that is fairer, more transparent and has the best interest of the consumer at its core.
What Do You Know About BNPL? written by Tor Kjolberg
If you’re a nature lover and Mother Nature’s masterpieces never cease to astound you, then Norway should be your next travel destination. Roughly the size of California, Europe’s longest country has boundless countryside full of jaw-dropping beauty and over 60,000 miles of coastline to explore. Here are5 tips for mind-blowing nature experiences in Norway.
Scenic vistas filled with massive mountains, fjords, shimmering glaciers, and natural phenomena such as the northern lights and the midnight sun make this Nordic country a must-visit destination. Begin planning your itinerary by adding these five mind-blowing nature experiences in Norway.
Rondane national park was established in 1962 as the country’s first national park. Photo: Asgeir Helgestad/Arctic Light AS/Visit Norway
1. Rondane National Park Located in Norway’s southernmost wilderness, the Rodande National Tourist Route and Park feature a backdrop of the blue mountains of Rondane. Traces of the Ice Age can be clearly seen. The park was established in 1962 as the country’s first national park. The route through the park has some amazing viewpoints and rest areas.
The Sohlbergplassen Viewpoint has stunning views of Lake Atnsjøen and the surrounding mountains of Rondane. An elaborate and perfectly engineered concrete platform frames the same views portrayed by the artist Harald Sohlberg in his painting “Winter Night in the Mountains.”
The Strømbu rest stop is another excellent viewpoint with views of the lush Skjerdalen Valley and the impressive Høgronden Mountain. It also serves as the trailhead for hikes in the national park. You can relax on a rooftop terrace with views of the winding Atna River. Designed by architect Carl-Viggo Hølmebakk, the main building has a warm and welcoming waiting room complete with huge windows and a cozy fireplace. A staffed kiosk and information center are open during the summer season.
2. Lysefjord The southernmost fjord in Western Norway, the Lysefjord is a good day trip from the city of Stavanger. There are several world-famous destinations located here. Try the challenging 4,444 wooden steps on the staircase of Flørli which takes you 2,427 feet above sea level. It’s the longest wooden staircase in the world and has striking views of the Lysefjord below. The steps are creaky but solidly constructed and formerly served as the Flørli hydropower station.
For a little less nerve-wracking experience, hike to Preikestolen or Kjerag, two famous viewpoints that have breathtaking vistas of the fjord and beyond. The hike to Kjerag is a little challenging, but the one to Preikestolen is more moderate and can even be done by children. More commonly known as the Pulpit Rock, Preikestolen is a mountain plateau that is naturally square-shaped with a view as deep as the mountain is high at some points. Pulpit Rock sits at an elevation of more than 1,950 feet and has become an international symbol of Norway.
There are other ways to experience the wonders of the Lysefjord. You can go biking, kayaking, or take an organized cruise.
the hike to Trolltunga (Troll’s Tongue) is challenging yet thousands of hikers safely conquer the trail to Trolliunga every year. Photo: Scott Sporleder/Fjord Norway
5 Tips For Mind-Blowing Nature Experiences In Norway – read on….
3. Trolltunga Located in the city of Odda in Western Norway, the hike to Trolltunga (Troll’s Tongue) is challenging yet thousands of hikers safely conquer the trail to Trollitunga every year. It has a total elevation of 3,600 feet and is nearly 2,300 feet above Lake Ringedalsvatnet. The view is one of the most spectacular in Norway.
It’s best to undertake this trek in summer. Check the weather forecast first and then start early in the morning, It takes about 12 hours to complete the nearly 14-mike roundtrip hike. You’ll have to navigate over bare rock, streams, and marshland, and the rocks can be slippery when wet.
The hike to Trolltunga requires hiking experience, the proper equipment, and a day’s worth of food and water, but the experience is unforgettable.
If you want to try something a little less popular but almost as spectacular, try the Trollpikken hike south of Stavanger along the coast to Kristiansand.
Geiranger fjord and Skageflå waterfall. Photo: Visit Geiranger.
4. Geirangerfjord
Also located in Western Norway, Geirangerfjord is so impressive it’s one of the country’s most famous fjords despite being the smallest. The UNESCO World Heritage site has surrounding mountains that appear to rise straight from the water. The nine-mile-long fjord is visited by thousands of people and hosts hundreds of cruise ships each year.
Along with stunning beauty, the filming of a movie called “The Wave” helped to make the Geirangerfjord world famous. It documents the possibility that nearby Åkerneset Mountain could collapse and cause a tsunami powerful enough to completely wipe out the village of Geiranger in 10 minutes.
You’ll also find another mind-blowing sight in the Geirangerfjord. It’s home to the famous Seven Sisters Waterfall, a collective series of cascading waterfalls with an 800-foot drop from the highest point.
The incredible natural rock formations were carved out by the river over thousands of years. Photo: Kristoffer Mollevik/Visit Helgeland.
5. Marmorslottet Marmorslottet, also known as “the marble castle” is a fairytale landscape found in northern Norway near the town of Mo I Rana. The incredible natural rock formations were carved out by the river over thousands of years. You can see and sense how water and ice, along with the abrasion of sand and gravel, slowly carved strange sculptural formations like giant cauldrons, potholes, and caves.
The trail to get there is steep and several sections are challenging when the terrain is wet. The starting point is the parking lot at the end of a gravel road and the trek takes 20-40 minutes one way. There are no signposts leading to Marmorslottet once you leave the parking lot, so you have to follow a map. Be sure to turn left at the trail fork.
To help preserve this wonder of nature, visitors are asked to remove their shoes before walking onto the marble formations. Think of it as walking across a neighbor’s delicate marble flooring. Marmoslottet is truly a marble castle and walking barefoot or in socks will actually give you a unique tactile experience.
You’re also asked to take precautions, especially when walking with children and pets. The river current is strong and the area is unsecured.
5 Tips For Mind-Blowing Nature Experiences In Norway, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Expert World Travel.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at the e-commerce holiday season since days such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas are slowly creeping around the corner. Here are some predictions after having talked with industry leaders and studied hundreds of trend reports. Here are ourlatest ecommerce trends for holiday Season 2022.
For many ecommerce players the fourth quarter makes up the busiest shopping season of the year. However, this year is unique because the cost of goods is rising faster than can reasonably be assessed. Consumers as well as retailers want to maintain growth and at the same time do it profitably. An omnichannel approach might be the solution.
At the same time, it’s critical for companies to keep a pulse on consumer behavior and the fast-changing business environment, and since the holiday season presents a major opportunity for most companies, it’s important to navigate well in these uncharted waters.
Several markets in Europe were in lockdown over the peak period in 2020. Retailers should therefore be wary of using last year’s trading figures as a plan for predicting demand this holiday season. Long-term increases in demand should be separated from the spikes that were driven purely by store closures or bad weather. Black Friday was renamed to Black Week as sales were spread out more. The same happened with Cyber Monday, and we believe this trend continues.
With such a huge opportunity in Q4, have you ensured that your brand is prepared? Read on and get important facts and figures.
Inflation, supply chain problems, and labor shortages are just some of the challenges businesses are facing now, and customers, aware of the economic changes, are looking to stock up on discounts to beat future price hikes. Businesses should expect a rise compared to their 2019 holiday figures – maybe as much as 25% to 50% growth on their sales two years ago if they are running an established online shop. But you should remember that the biggest selling days on Amazon in Europe last year were the 13th and 14th December, as this was the last Sunday and Monday when customers could order with guaranteed delivery of gifts.
This year, we believe the biggest dates for online sales could be as late as Sunday 18th and Monday 19th December because of when Christmas falls.
Be aware of the fact that 6 out of 10 consumers are concerned about a retailer’s credibility or potential personal data breaches when shopping online. Have your systems in order. With an AI-based strategy for fraud prevention, you can apply adaptive decisioning to accept, challenge, or deny a transaction without resorting to lengthy manual reviews so that you can accelerate the manual reviews that are actually necessary.
Despite the supply chain issues, retailers pulled off a successful 2021 holiday season. According to Deloitte, the total holiday retail sales in 2021 increased by 8.5%, the largest annual increase in 17 years. Retailers realized that some of the pandemic shopping trends had settled into post-pandemic habits.
By this point of the year, your product selection should be decided, stock ordered and promotion planned. Be prepared to be flexible. If a key competitor goes on promotion earlier than you expected, you may want to follow suit at a short notice. Your promotional marketing could be as detailed as hour by hour for key days such as Black Friday. Make sure your operations and processes are robust – they will be stretched by both the planned peaks and potentially unplanned ones too.
There are still more than three months to go until the peak of the holiday shopping season and Cyber 5 – but many consumers have already kicked off their holiday shopping. In fact, 38% of US shoppers who participated in Amazon Prime Day 2022 say they purchased holiday gifts during the sales event.
According to Adobe, except apparel and toys, every key category saw less aggressive discounts in 2021 compared with the prior year. The overall level of holiday discounting was 9% in 2021, down from 14% in 2020. For furniture/bedding, the discounting was 2% compared with 4% in 2020.
The new way of shopping powered by the use of 3D product visualization opened up a new chapter for the furniture industry. Photo: Igor Miske/Unsplash
If order management, fulfillment and customer service is not smooth, it will leave a lasting negative impression on customers, and increasingly this is spread more widely through word of mouth on social media. Once you’re into the peak trading period, make sure you are regularly walking the online store in the same way as you would in a physical store. By doing this, you can make continual improvements, so customers have the best possible experience and are encouraged to convert.
The average sales price (ASP) is set to increase 8-12% each month for the remainder of 2022. But brands and retailers can still expect Cyber Week 2022 to be a major revenue-driving event, especially with price-conscious shoppers who are looking for good deals. In 2021, Cyber Week (the 5-day period encompassing Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday) brought in $36.4 billion in revenue in the US alone.
Ever since the pandemic, customers place more value on convenience and speed when shopping, evidenced by a significant shift in click-and-collect orders.
Data from eMarketer shows that this preferred shopping method from 2020 remained popular throughout 2021. Though click and collect declined slightly as a percentage of e-commerce orders compared with 2020, it still drove nearly one in four online transactions.
Ecommerce holiday sales have been rising since the dawn of online shopping, but growth skyrocketed in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic.
After increasing 11% in 2018 and 16.2% in 2019, US digital holiday sales surged 32% year-over-year in 2020 to $185.9 billion. In 2021, ecommerce sales grew a smaller but still significant 14.4%, hitting $206.9 billion.
Latest Ecommerce Trends for Holiday Season 2022, read on….
Ecommerce sales made up nearly 1 in 5 holiday purchases last year.
Offline holiday sales still surpass online sales – and they’ve also grown rapidly. Overall US holiday retail sales reached $843.4 billion in 2021. That’s up from $691.7 billion in 2019!
In 2022, shockwaves from the pandemic will continue to transform consumer shopping habits. Inflation is one such impact, with the annual US inflation rate currently around double what it’s been for the past 40 years.
Contrary to what many believe, mobile is a popular channel for furniture buyers. Data from Salesforce shows that the average share of online orders through mobile during November and December 2021 was 6%. This number goes up to 11% during the peak season, especially during Cyber Week.
The number of retailers leveraging the power of 3D visualization has increased significantly, especially since the pandemic. The influx of digital twins of products in the digital space has opened a new chapter in the retail world: 3D commerce.
The average sales price (ASP) is set to increase 8-12% each month for the remainder of 2022. Photo: Cardmapper nl/Unsplash
The new way of shopping powered by the use of 3D product visualization opened up a new chapter for the furniture industry. The furniture retailer Jerome’s witnessed a 49% increase in conversion rates after implementing 3D product visualization.
Some consumers might kick off their holiday shopping early this year to spread the purchases out more instead of spending a significant sum of money all at once. This is a continuation of a trend from the 2021 holiday shopping season, when consumers started buying holiday gifts earlier than ever due to supply chain and shipping concerns.
The behaviors and demands of consumers are changing frequently, and if you can’t keep up with these consumer habits, you may lose them to competitors who do.
Latest Ecommerce Trends for Holiday Season 2022, compiled by Tor Kjolberg
