How Italian consumers shop online

 

Italian culture and cuisine have a wide-reaching impact all over the world. But the Mediterranean country has much more to offer than pizza, pasta, and impressive ancient Roman architecture. Find out all about Italian e-Commerce and the behavior of its online shoppers!

 

An image of the Colosseum in Rome

 

 

The digital landscape of Italy

In Italy, Internet penetration stands at 86.1% (50.78 million people), with 74.5% being active on social media (43.90 million users).

 

The e-Commerce market is valued at $110.25 billion and projected to reach $178.60 billion by 2030. This translates to an annual growth rate of 9.74%. e-Commerce accounts for 12% of all retail sales, a figure that has shown steady improvement over the past few years.

 

The market’s user penetration is measured at 41.2%, with an expected rise to 45.6% in 2029, or 25.2 million shoppers (out of 59.1 million inhabitants). Mobile commerce is also on the rise, with 55.2% of transactions now being conducted via smartphones.

 

As for geography, inhabitants of highly urbanized zones in the North of the country, like Milan, Turin, and Rome, are more active online shoppers than those living in other areas, like Southern Italy.

 

 

Favorite marketplaces

Italians seem to favor international e-Commerce platforms, like Amazon (which commands over 50% of all e-Commerce turnover in the country), SHEIN, Temu, AliExpress, Zalando, and eBay. The most notable exception is Unieuro, an Italian marketplace selling electronics like laptops, phones, cameras, home entertainment systems, TVs, etc.

 

Screenshot of unieuro.it displaying the marketplace’s homepage

 

The country’s classic North-South divide is apparent in e-Commerce logistics as well. While 78% of Northern residents have access to same-day delivery services, inhabitants of the South have to contend with 72-hour delivery windows.

 

 

Online purchasing behavior of Italian consumers

As mentioned before, less than half of Italians shop online regularly. This means that there’s a large untapped potential in the country, considering we’re talking about the third-largest economy and the largest market for luxury goods in Europe.

 

Interestingly, geography matters more than age: both older and younger generations are open to e-Commerce, however, as noted above, regardless of age, those living in the North are more active online shoppers than Southern inhabitants.

 

 

| Geography matters more than age, with Northern residents shopping online more than those in the South

 

 

The most popular product categories are fashion and shoes, electronics, home, garden, sports, and DIY equipment, as well as beauty and care products.

 

Credit and debit card payments are the most often used options, with 32.7% of shoppers choosing to pay for their online shopping this way. However, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) constructions are also gaining popularity (with an annual growth rate of 15.4%), especially amongst the younger generations.

 

With the rising adoption of social media, influencer marketing and social media campaigns are becoming more important in Italian e-Commerce as well. This is especially true for the beauty and fashion segments, where consumers are increasingly likely to follow the recommendations and tutorials of their trusted influencers.

 

All in all, it can be stated that Italian e-Commerce has exciting opportunities for brands in many market segments. However, it’s important to know all the unique local features of your target market before taking the leap.  

 

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Successful marketing strategies for Italian e-Commerce

A localized marketplace approach is essential for success when marketing to Italian consumers. This means that you can’t skip translating your content, including website, product listings, and any marketing material, into Italian to increase conversion rates.

 

It’s also necessary to adapt all your strategies to the local specifics. Considering the popularity of international marketplaces, you have to develop a presence on the ones preferred by your target market (probably Amazon and some niche marketplaces). This is especially true for popular and emerging product categories where competition is strong, including fashion, beauty, electronics, and DIY.

 

 

| A localized approach is essential for success when marketing to Italian consumers

 

 

Similarly, given the rising popularity of social media, influencer marketing is a must. Pinpoint local influencers with strong links to your target market and work with them to promote your brand.

 

As mobile traffic accounts for over half of all e-Commerce transactions, make sure your website is optimized for handheld devices. This is even more important if your site features a webshop.

 

Adhere to the conditions Italian consumers expect from existing sellers. Payment options, easy returns, clear product information, and attentive customer service are all essential for e-Commerce savvy Italians.

 

While cross-border commerce is growing stronger, interestingly, over half of Italian e-Commerce firms still refrain from selling their products abroad. This is mostly due to technological, logistical, and customs issues. A situation like this can create collaboration opportunities for brands wishing to enter Italian e-Commerce.

 

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Brand protection strategies for Italian e-Commerce

When entering a new market, brands and businesses often neglect to register their trademarks and copyrights. This small omission can lead to devastating consequences, as registration creates a solid legal base for the protection of your invaluable IP rights.

 

Don’t skip this step, even if your To Do list is a mile long! Register your rights in Italy to give yourself the best start in this new market, especially if you’re active in the most competitive sectors like beauty, fashion, and pharmaceuticals.

 

It’s similarly important to secure the domain names most often associated with your brand and product names. This also has to include common misspellings or any nicknames your products are known by, because cybersquatters and typosquatters often claim these domains and operate fake shops on them to dupe consumers.

 

If you take these proactive steps, fraudsters will have a harder time infringing on your IP rights. However, fraudsters are often quite inventive, which is why it’s imperative to monitor your markets to detect any potential infringements and nip them in the bud.

 

Our comprehensive online monitoring services cover all areas of business and the entire internet to ensure that infringements are uncovered as soon as possible.

 

In Italian e-Commerce, our marketplace monitoring service is essential to continuously check Amazon, SHEIN, Temu, and any other platforms relevant to your brand for potentially infringing product listings.

 

Considering the popularity of social media and influencer marketing in Italy, our social media monitoring service is indispensable to detect infringing posts, ads, and any other content posted on Facebook & Co. We’ll also track social commerce spaces for fake profiles, unauthorized sellers, and any misuse of your hashtags associated with your brand.

 

Through our domain monitoring service, we can detect websites using your brand or product name, or any misspelled variant of them.

 

Detecting infringements is not enough; we also have to ensure that they’re removed from the internet to stop the harm they’re causing to your brand. This is why we offer to enforce your rights and demand the takedown of any infringing content from the internet, including product listings, domains, images, social media posts, and much more.

 

In Italy, our swift action relies on local and EU-wide legislative frameworks to ensure the rapid removal of infringing content. In addition, we collect court-admissible evidence and are ready to help you prepare your court case against fraudsters.

 

Find out how we can assist you in an IP infringement lawsuit!

 

Considering the specific geographical challenges in Southern Italy, the emergence of grey markets is a significant threat. We can tailor our services to assist authorized sellers in regions with weaker logistics to stand out and curb the influx of harmful grey market products.

 

Conclusion

Italian e-Commerce is an exciting segment with great opportunities for brands. If you decide to take the plunge, don’t forget to protect your invaluable IP rights!

 

Contact us and let’s devise a perfectly tailored IP protection strategy to give your brand the best start in Italian e-Commerce.