How is trade doing in Boden – and what does the development of the city center say about the future of the municipality?
In the new reports Handelskartan – Så handlar Boden, from Svensk Handel and HUI, and Attraktiva platser 2025, produced by Fastighetsägarna MittNord together with HUI, Boden receives an in-depth basis on the development of trade, industry mix and flows of people in the city center. The reports provide an overall picture of how trade, workplaces and movement patterns are changing – and become a strategic basis for the city center’s continued development in a time of industrial expansion.
31% of trade in the city center
Total retail turnover in Boden amounted to SEK 1,936 million in 2024, of which SEK 591 million took place in the city center – corresponding to around 31 percent of the municipality’s trade. This is ten percent more than the comparable figure in other medium-sized cities in Sweden.
Turnover increased by 3.5% in the municipality and by 4.5% in the city center. At the same time, the number of retail businesses decreased, especially in the city center.
This development follows a national trend where city centers are changing from being primarily commercial places to increasingly accommodate workplaces and services.
More offices – new flows and new challenges
The Attractive Places report shows that offices are currently the largest business sector in Boden city center. Since 2018, the retail trade has lost twelve businesses, while office businesses have increased.
Around 1 450 people work in the city center, while around 830 people both live and work there. The commuting index is 174, indicating a clear inflow of daytime workers.
It creates strong flows during office hours – but also raises a clear question for the future: how do we ensure life and movement even after 5pm?
A key player in this work is the Boden Tillsammans collaboration platform, where the municipality, property owners, businesses and other local actors work together to strengthen the city center. Through coordinated activities, joint marketing and long-term development work on content and site development, conditions are created for a more vibrant center – throughout the day and year.
– “We see a positive effect since Boden Tillsammans was formed. We are working actively to meet the change and create life and movement after office hours,” says Anki Granström, coordinator of Boden Tillsammans.
She says breadth is crucial in a city where shopping patterns are changing.
– We need to fill the city center with what brings life. This means more cultural events, initiatives such as Walk and Eat and further developing winter and summer hangouts. Things that attract people to the center and that have a positive effect on trade.
2024 was also the first year in which the ongoing industrial establishment started to make itself felt in everyday life.
At the end of the year, more than 700 people were living in temporary accommodation in the municipality. At the same time, more than 1 000 people were working on the industrial estate to build the new plant. In 2025, development has accelerated sharply, with a peak of around 4,000 people working on the site.
Tourism and international markets
In 2023, the tourism industry’s consumption amounted to SEK 489 million and was equivalent to around 250 full-time jobs.
The largest international markets are Norway, Denmark, Finland, the USA and Germany. At the same time, markets such as Poland, Spain, Japan, Latvia and Switzerland are growing.
– What we see is that much of the money generated in the tourism industry stays in the municipality through subcontractors, local suppliers and service companies. The effects are spread throughout the local economy.
For Boden Tillsammans, the reports will be a concrete tool in the continued development work.
– This gives us the opportunity to better understand our customers’ buying patterns, trends and changes. It is a good material to work with when we want to develop the trade further,” says Anki Granström.
