The Plenary of the Netcomm eCommerce Forum
"E-commerce is not just e-commerce, but a vector of innovation and competitiveness. Italy is growing and will continue to grow in the next ten years, even though we lag behind in terms of purchase frequency," said Roberto Liscia, President of Netcomm, during the opening speech of the nineteenth edition of the Netcomm Forum.
This year, the focus of the fair is on the theme "The Intelligence Commerce: Composable & Fluid, the continuous reconfiguration of Retail and supply chains. Retail: from Metaverses to Space Commerce."
According to the latest survey by the Netcomm B2C eCommerce Observatory - School of Management at Politecnico di Milano, presented yesterday morning during the first plenary session, the B2C e-commerce sector in Italy is growing at a rate of +6%, reaching a value of 38.6 billion euros this year. These numbers indicate a positive state of health for the industry.
The B2C e-commerce sector in Italy is experiencing solid growth, with above-average increases in the Furniture and Home Living, Automotive, and Food & Grocery sectors (with growth rates ranging from +8% to +12%). Beauty, IT and Electronics, and Clothing show growth in line with the industry (with growth rates ranging from +7% to +5%). On the other hand, Publishing remains stable. The penetration of e-commerce in total Retail purchases stands at 11%, unchanged from the previous year.
Currently, there are 88,000 Italian companies with their own e-commerce website, with the majority of presence in Lombardia, Lazio, and Campania. However, there is still ample room for improvement in international expansion, as most Italian companies have a low degree of internationalization.
E-commerce in Italy is experimenting with innovative technologies such as extended reality and advanced logistics services to improve the purchasing experience and attract a wider customer base. The key touchpoints that most influence online purchases include search engines, the brand's website or app, product reviews, and websites or apps that sell the desired products.
Online purchases are also influenced by offline factors such as visits to physical stores. More than a third of offline purchase decisions are influenced by digital touchpoints, with particular relevance to the smartphone, electronics, appliances, and furniture sectors. Social media (31.7% of Italians), push notifications (30.5%), and physical stores (24.9%) play a secondary but significant role.
Overall, the e-commerce market in Italy is showing steady growth and technological evolution in optimizing the online shopping experience.
E-Business Consulting at the Netcomm eCommerce Forum
During the first day of the Netcomm eCommerce Forum 2024, we participated as exhibitors at booth L16, representing E-Business Consulting. During the event, we’re offering personalized consultations to visitors and we’re providing advice on optimizing customer management, implementing lead generation strategies, and integrating incentive programs into eCommerce initiatives.
We look forward to welcoming many of you today to get to know us and discuss 360° eCommerce!
E-Business Consulting, a leading marketing agency active since 2003, is also waiting for you today at booth L16 at Mico in Milan! Contact us to build a tailor-made project for your business!
