Norwegians have swiped the card for NOK 12.5 billion between 20 June and 17 July this year, according to recent figures from DNB on their customers’ spending.
This is an increase of seven percent from the normal year 2019.
What we spend the most money on now are experiences and services we did not have access to during the pandemic, according to the figures.
– This shows that we have not put an emergency brake on our card use. On the contrary, we have allowed it to return almost to normal in 2019, so the type of holiday we had before the pandemic set in, says Ine Oftedahl, director of data transformation at DNB.
We have spent the most money on this
The figures for DNB customers show that it is abroad that applies this year.
– The use of foreign cards has increased by 15 per cent from the normal year, so after two summers in Norway it was obviously time to maximize the sun and heat, Oftedahl believes.
And it is at the typical southern destinations that we have left the most money.
– They have grown enormously this year. So Spain has knocked Sweden out of first place, and then other southern destinations follow suit, says Oftedahl.
At the same time, she emphasizes that Denmark and Sweden, which are the typical top destinations, are still held quite well.
– CITY HOLIDAY: Restaurants and bars are among the places where we have left a lot of money this summer. Photo: Hanna Johre / NTB
–
– What do we spend the most money on?
– That is all that we have missed most during the pandemic. The keywords are probably coziness, coziness and experiences: We go out to restaurants and bars, we travel a lot, and have a lot of fun with concerts, cinema and socializing, says Oftedahl.
Domestic changes
Not everyone has been abroad, however, and there are still a good number enjoying the summer at home in Norway, the expert believes.
– Here, too, the holiday looks quite different than it has been during the pandemic. We have calmed down the pace more, stayed longer in each place, and we have returned to the big cities, Oftedahl says.
She says that people stayed more away from the big cities during the pandemic due to the high level of infection.
– This year, however, we are really back in the big cities, says the expert.
Facing a tough autumn
Many are going through a tough autumn in the face of higher interest rates and increased prices.
– Should we be more frugal?
– We haven’t put on any emergency brakes, but the most important thing is everyday card use. So I will let Norwegians treat themselves to a good summer holiday, which has been long-awaited, says Oftedahl.
– GETTING WORSE: We are facing a tough autumn on the economic front with both increased prices and higher interest rates. Photo: Erlend Aas / NTB
–
– Then we should probably see that the big numbers adjust down a bit after the summer when autumn and everyday life come, Oftedahl believes.
Compared to other countries, we see a higher spending here in Norway, according to the expert.
– There is probably a slightly higher consumption with us, but here it is important to remember that we have to take the big numbers when the whole summer holiday is over. We don’t know, for example, whether people have gone on holiday a little earlier this year and then calmed down, or whether card use will stay the same throughout the rest of the summer, Oftedahl believes.
DNB’s card data shows that customers have swiped the card for NOK 429 million in Spain during the summer holidays. Sweden is in second place, where Norwegians have had a consumption of NOK 412 million.
Denmark is in third place for foreign destinations.
–
