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Norwegians spent just under NOK 2 billion on cross-border trade last year. This is an 88% decrease compared to the previous year.
Nine out of ten crowns seek
In other words, cross-border trade has declined by nine out of ten crowns during the crown year. This is shown in figures released by Statistics Norway (SSB) on Thursday.
In fact, NKr 2 billion is less than what Norwegians have spent at border crossings every quarter in the last ten years.
– We’re alone
8 million fewer day trips
Compared to the record year 2019, we made 8 million fewer day trips abroad and bought more than NOK 14 billion less, according to Statistics Norway.
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This gives employees complete freedom to choose a work mobile.
Why did it happen that way? The corona pandemic and strict travel restrictions introduced in March last year stifled opportunities to travel outside the country.
The few day trips that were completed were to half the places as usual. Just under half of the few day trips that were completed, and just over half of what we bought, ended up in Strømstad.
– More than dramatic
Ståle Løvheim, the director of the Norwegian center at the Nordby shopping center, across the Swedish border, believes the figures reflect the situation. He is aware that the situation at the Nordby Mall is “beyond dramatic.”
– We have not earned a penny this year, it goes without saying that this equals zero. The customer base is gone. I never thought we would see the anniversary of this pandemic.
In a normal year, the center has a turnover of just under five billion. Last year, the number dropped to just under 1 billion, according to Løvheim.
“It’s just because we had normal operations for the first two and a half months,” he says.
– I’m disappointed
The center, which is very popular with Norwegians, has 110 stores, around 1,000 employees and up to eight million visitors during a typical year.
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Employees use the mobile of their dreams freely, without skyrocketing costs
Løvheim says many are laid off, but since it is individual stores that are laying off, he doesn’t have an overview of the number.
– It is now very quiet and almost impossible to describe. It is very nice and clean here. Maintenance work has been carried out. We are prepared and we have a very safe center. We take hand sanitizers and infection control very seriously. We have done everything possible. Now we are just waiting for the message to open.
SITTING ON THE FENCE: The center manager at the Nordby Mall says they will lose their entire customer base, as long as the Swedish border is closed. 93 percent of the centre’s clients are Norwegian. Photo: Private
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– Law law
But, “as long as Erna keeps the borders closed”, they sit on the fence.
– We dream of starting over, bringing products back and getting employees back to work, and making Nordby what it was.
Open borders are crucial to operations.
– All our business is based in Norwegians. About 93 percent are Norwegian and account for 97 percent of sales.
Løvheim says that closed borders have presented enormous challenges for many. He believes that everything is reminiscent of not living in a free country and states that it is “clear that Norwegian politicians do not come from border areas”.
Closed border: – Damn
He is optimistic about the reopening, but does not know what it will be like and asks for predictability.
– It will be impossible to say, I do not think that they will open the borders from one day to the next. It is impossible to know if only vaccinated people can travel. There is not much information on this here. We firmly believe in better times. We are very tired.
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In this way, employees can get the mobile work they want, without you losing control.
He adds:
– Even though we have strong owners behind us, it is a matter of time how long you can sit without having clients. That is the hardest part. We would like to have predictability, like a date to deal with. He had done a lot.
