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Each year the Swedish Retail Institute (HUI) conducts research into what it believes will be what Swedes call the årets julklapp – or most popular Christmas gift of the year. The organisation choses the item based on three specific criteria: the product must be a novelty or have received new interest that year, the product must account for a high sales value or be sold in a large number of units, and finally, the product must represent the era we live in.

When you take a moment to think carefully about these criteria, it might not surprise you to learn that the item chosen by HUI as the potential number one Christmas gift in Sweden for 2020 is the classic camping or trekking/backpacking stove. Sweden is blessed with wonderful nature and outdoor spaces, and this year more than ever with the Covid-19 pandemic changing our world, it seems Swedes have joined the global trend of spending more time outdoors to seek solitude, safety and escape. And as any outdoors lover will tell you, eating alfresco is one of the best parts of a camping or outdoors adventure. 

“The so-called ‘storm-kitchen’ (or outdoor stove) became this year's choice for Swedish Christmas presents because it is a clear example of how much our lives have shifted in 2020. A very sad situation led many people to open their eyes to see how good we feel in nature.” says Per Wååg, CEO of Primus, one of Sweden’s oldest manufacturers of stoves and other innovative outdoor cooking products. Primus has been producing these items since way back in 1892 and has experienced surging sales this year like no other. 

“Even though we will hopefully return to normal soon, we expect that more and more people will continue to spend both leisure and the holidays outdoors in ways that are safe, sustainable and good for everyone’s health,” Per added.

But Primus are not the only indicator as to why camping stoves will be nestled under Christmas trees around Sweden this December. Many Swedish camping and outdoor retailers have experienced a huge groundswell in interest in their products – many struggling to maintain good stock levels as Swedes rediscovered the benefits of being in nature. As the holiday season approached, this only intensified, with the hope among the Swedish industry that those who have experienced this world for the first time will enjoy the taste and become campers and outdoors lovers for life. 

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