Systembolaget's mandate from the Swedish state is to help limit the medical and social harm caused by alcohol and thereby improve public health. For Systembolaget this means:

 

# Restricting availability through the number of stores, opening hours and retail rules
# Not attempting to maximise our profit
# Not promoting additional sales
# Being brand-neutral
# Providing a high standard of customer service
# Being financially efficient

 

There are 440 Systembolaget-stores and 457 order points all across Sweden, and goods can be ordered online and delivered to monopoly shops or order points, or – in special trial areas – straight to the customer’s home address. The most common opening hours in 2017 was 50 hours a week, 10-19 on weekdays and 10-15 on Saturdays. The age limits for purchasing alcohol in Systembolaget is 20 both for strong and mild beverages, and 18 for on-premise sales in restaurants and bars.

 

Systembolaget’s market share was 62.8% in 2017, and half of all sales within the monopoly was beer.

 

The minimum legal age for purchasing alcoholic beverages in Sweden on off-premise retail sale is for all alcoholic beverages 20 years. For on-premise retail sale, the minimum legal age is 18. The age limit for “Folköl” (beer containing between 2.8 and 3.5 vol. %) is 18 years.