The trend in recent years in Italian shopping habits has been increasingly towards digital channels. So, Italians love to shop online, but what are their shopping methods and practices? The trends can be partly deduced from a study commissioned by AliExpress, the international e-commerce platform led by Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. The company commissioned Censuswide – The Research Consult to investigate online consumer habits in Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain.
ITALY – Focusing on Italian data, a sample of 1,501 people shows that in the last three months almost all respondents made purchases online, spending an average of 585.55 euros and that, in particular, the regions of the two large cities, Rome and Milan, hold the record for highest expenditure: Lazio (686.11 euros) and Lombardy (632.10 euros). They were followed by Emilia-Romagna (620.90 euros), Piedmont (617.82 euros) and Sicily (617.22 euros), giving a complete picture of Italy. For 20% of respondents, the amount spent online becomes much more important, exceeding 950 euros, indicating a strong predilection for this purchasing channel for different product categories. 21.19% of Italians involved in the survey bought 3 to 4 products, while 17.79% made 5 to 6 purchases during the quarter.
WEB TIME – While spending figures and the number of products purchased in the quarter suggest a high frequency of online shopping, data on the time spent searching and purchasing online indicate a safe online process for users. In fact, 33% of Italians spent 1-2 hours a week browsing online to find the purchase they needed, skillfully juggling the different possibilities offered by the Internet. E-commerce platforms such as AliExpress are the preferred channel for over 67% of Italians who choose them for the wide variety of product categories offered: direct retailer websites attract 38% while mobile app use is increasing, especially in the 25-34 age group, which accounts for 20% of purchases. In Italy, social media channels are not yet fully convincing, accounting for 12% of purchases made online. If we talk about AliExpress, 45% of respondents have already purchased from the platform that allows them to buy directly from manufacturers in China and around the world.
SHOPPING – What do Italians buy? Among the 13 product categories analysed, two pillars of commerce in our country stand out, even outside the web: clothing and footwear, with 80% of purchases and an average spend of 102.27 euros, and beauty products for personal care, with an average purchase of 85.29 euros. The sports sector also recorded good numbers – 66.5% – especially in the younger group between 18 and 34 years old. Shopping is also good when it comes to home and garden products, with 57% of purchases to better organize the indoor and outdoor spaces of their home to welcome friends and enjoy the various events this season dedicated entirely to sport. Finally, as true mobile addicts, there is no shortage of purchases related to telephony and telecommunications, with 59% of spending made in this sector.
ALIEXPRESS – Launched in 2010, AliExpress is a business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplace that enables consumers around the world to buy directly from manufacturers in China and around the world. In addition to the global English version, the AliExpress platform is also available in 15 other languages. AliExpress is part of the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.
THE RESEARCH – The research was carried out by Censuswide on a sample of 9,524 respondents aged 18+ in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Data was collected between 28 June 2024 and 3 July 2024. Respondents were asked about spending in the previous three months (March, April and May). Censuswide joins and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the Ms. Code of Conduct and the Esomar Principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
Source: IL Tempo
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
