E-commerce is now the norm for almost all Italian customers, with 87% of those polled having made an online purchase for themselves or their families in the previous year. Lower prices (52%), convenience and ease of purchase (42%), the latter notably valued by Baby Boomers (51%), and a wide selection and ease of use (38%), which rises to 49% among Baby Boomers, are the primary drivers of digital shopping. This is according to the research "The contribution of the Digital Value Network to the competitiveness of the Italian system", which was undertaken by Netcomm in partnership with Nomisma. The study splits what Italians buy online into three categories: travel and lodgings, services, and physical products. In the "Travel and Accommodations" segment, hotel and accommodation bookings stand out (63%), followed by train tickets (56%), and flights (55%). In the "Services" segment, event and concert tickets and streaming services lead the way (55%), ahead of the insurance sector (40%). Finally, in the "Physical Goods" segment, electronics/appliances and clothing both stand at 49%, followed by publishing products and cosmetics (both at 45%).
The total economic value generated by e-commerce in Italy is €993 billion, which is the sum of two components: €293 billion in added value, or the wealth generated and retained in the economic system, distributed among wages, profits, and taxes (equivalent to 13% of Italian GDP in 2025), and €700 billion in production factors and intermediate products, which correspond to intermediate consumption, or the goods and services that businesses purchase and use to operate.