Trade in Norway increased sharply when the border with Sweden closed in mid-March, and the large border trade shops were left desolate.
Since the end of July, the border has been open to parts of Sweden in various rounds, but despite this, trade on the Norwegian side has continued to increase at the same rate.
Up to and including September, the increase in the grocery trade is 16.1 percent - 21.2 billion Norwegian kroner.
- It is amazing how the increase has lasted, but it has been a period in Norway when we talked a lot about shame when it comes to travel to Sweden.
Even if the border has opened in certain areas, it does not mean that customers have chosen to travel, says Gunnar Portvik at the analysis company Nielsen.
Increases most along the border
It is also the sales of typical cross-border goods such as alcohol, soft drinks, confectionery and tobacco that have increased the most, and the increase is most clearly in the border areas.
Sales of tobacco products, for example, increased by 60 per cent throughout Norway during the third quarter, while the increase was 190 per cent along the border with Strömstad and parts of Värmland.
New habits can persist
Right now, the whole of Sweden except Kalmar County is red on the Norwegian maps, with a requirement for a ten-day quarantine for Swedish travelers upon return to Norway.
But even if the border were to reopen, it is not certain that it means that customers change their new habits, says Gunnar Portvik.
- The future is very uncertain.
This may be a sign of a change in behavior on the Norwegian side, that one simply wants to support local trade.