The Swedish Trade Federation's Prestigious E-Commerce Award D-Award were presented today at D-Congress in front of more than 4,500 leaders and innovators from across the Nordic region. The winner of the 2026 E-commerce of the Year award is the Swedish perfume brand Essnce. At the same time, the newly established honorary award—the Arne Andersson Honor—was presented for the first time to Arne B. Andersson himself.
The perfume company Essnce was founded by entrepreneur Jonna Gustafsson in 2022, and its business model is to sell high-quality perfume at a lower price than established brands. Essnce commissions a French family-owned perfumery to produce versions of branded perfumes, which it then sells online and distributes from its own warehouse in Nässjö. Essnce received the award for its strong growth trajectory, clear positioning, and ability to combine creativity with commercial precision in a highly competitive market.
The jury's statement:
With impressive growth, a clear strategic direction, and a deep understanding of digital brand-building, Essnce has established itself as one of the most dynamic players in the Swedish e-commerce sector.Through a strong customer focus, data-driven execution, and bold ambition, the company demonstrates how a modern Swedish brand can scale rapidly while building long-term relevance—both nationally and internationally. Essnce represents a new generation of digital brands where product, community, and culture come together—and where strong brand equity is combined with operational excellence.
Arne B. Andersson, Honor
This year also saw the establishment of the Arne B. Andersson Honor, a new personal honorary award within the framework of the D-Award. The award recognizes an individual whose long-term contributions have had a decisive and lasting impact on the development of Swedish e-commerce. It is therefore only natural that the first recipient of the award is the person who gave it its name—Arne B Andersson.
The jury's statement:
Through his work at Posten as early as the mid-2000s, Arne B. Andersson became a public voice and pioneer for Swedish e-commerce. He helped an emerging industry gain a better understanding of its growth, its drivers, and its direction. For decades, he has generously shared insights, brought international perspectives to Sweden, and driven the development of smarter and more sustainable delivery solutions. His influence has shaped not only how Swedish e-commerce has grown—but also how it thinks.
The D-Award has been presented annually since 2019 at D-Congress, organized by Svensk Handel, and is Sweden’s most prestigious award in the field of digital commerce. The jury consists of leading representatives from the retail sector: Freddy Sobin, Paul Fischbein, Hans Ohlsson, Linn Rundgren, Catrin Folkesson, and Joakim Eskilsson. Per Ljungberg serves as the jury secretary.
