Sweden's food VAT falls from 12% to 6% on April 1. Stores like Ica Maxi in Bromma are busily updating price tags on thousands of items ahead of Easter shopping. Owner Gustav Johansson warns of potential customer rushes.
Stores across Sweden are working intensively to adjust prices ahead of the food VAT cut. At Ica Maxi in Bromma, owner Gustav Johansson and staff have handled over 20,000 items needing new price tags, while preparing for Easter trade.
Johansson notes that sales have been steady so far, with strong turnover on Monday and Tuesday. "We will see how it goes. We might get completely overrun," he says about the risk of a customer surge on Wednesday.
To avoid chaos on April 1, many stores began price adjustments earlier in the week. Customers can check the VAT reduction on receipts, and some stores signal it with uneven öre rounding. "None of us would dare or want to cheat," Johansson emphasizes.
Independent services like Matpriskollen are monitoring prices in participating stores to ensure the reduction reaches consumers.