What you need to know
Compared to its European neighbours the Italian online market is immature, in terms of connectivity (broadband access is below the EU average), percentage of people that shop online and the development of retailers’ online operations. What’s more the channel’s development won’t have been helped by the country’s economic difficulties. The sector is growing although it still accounts for only 0.7% of total retail sales with estimated revenues of €2.8 billion in 2015, up from less than €500 million in 2011.
Amazon is the number one player in the online market in terms of both sales and usage levels. Our consumer research for this report shows 81% of those that had shopped online had done so at Amazon over the previous 12 months. It only launched in the Italian market in 2010 but we believe it has not only gained sales for itself in the country but also encouraged consumers and retailers alike to embrace the channel.
Areas covered in this report
For the purposes of this report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
Online shopping is any purchase of goods that could be bought in a shop, whether it is from a store-based retailer or one that only trades online (such as Amazon). It is the fact of ordering goods away from the store that is important.
The consumer research looks at the device used (home computer or mobile device) and which retailers are used. It then looks at attitudes to major issues in online retailing at present – personalisation, service and social media.
The report focusses on all online retailing and we profile the leading players, whether they are online-only or store-based.
The report is about online retailing and excludes other forms of home shopping, such as catalogues, television shopping, party plan or other forms of direct selling.
