Italy E-Commerce Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Italy E-Commerce Market Trends and Insights

Adoption Of Account-To-Account Instant Payments

Real-time SEPA Instant rails became mandatory for all Italian banks in 2025, eliminating two-day settlement delays and interchange fees that averaged 1.5% of order value. Merchants in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna adopted instant-payment modules 35% faster than peers elsewhere, improving margins on low-ticket grocery and electronics orders. Domestic fintech Satispay embedded the rails into its wallet, giving 380,000 merchants sub-10-second settlement and raising its user base to 5 million. Instant transfers also meet strong customer authentication rules without one-time passwords, trimming checkout abandonment rates. Together, these factors position instant payments as the default tender type for repeat transactions nationwide.^{[1]Banca d'Italia, “Payment Systems and Financial Market Infrastructures,” BANCA D’ITALIA, bancaditalia.it}

Rising Mobile-Commerce Adoption Among 25-34-Year-Olds

Smartphones generated 56.42% of online transaction value in 2025, propelled by contactless software POS terminals that jumped from 40,000 units in 2023 to 152,000 in 2024. Short-form video commerce, spearheaded by TikTok Shop, now redirects traffic straight into one-tap checkout pipelines handled by Zalando’s ZEOS network. Wearable devices added EUR 2.5 billion in 2024 volume, widening the definition of mobile commerce beyond phones. Biometric logins satisfy PSD2 authentication with minimal friction, an advantage that amplifies conversion among younger cohorts. As a result, median purchase time on smartphones fell to 2.8 minutes in 2025, down from 4.2 minutes two years earlier.^{[2]Politecnico di Milano, “Osservatori Digital Innovation,” POLITECNICO DI MILANO, osservatori.net}

Surge In Same-Day Delivery Infrastructure

Zalando’s 80,000 m² hub in Verona, operational since late 2024, now fulfills 70% of northern orders within 24 hours. Poste Italiane handled 308 million parcels in 2024 and is fielding 10,000 automated lockers with DHL by 2027, reducing failed deliveries significantly. Locker operator InPost surpassed 3,000 boxes by mid-2025, clustering them around Milan, Turin, and Bologna railway stations. Same-day capability also lowers apparel return costs by compressing try-and-return cycles. Although delivery density in Calabria and Sicily remains 30% below the northern average, new hubs in Naples and Palermo are narrowing the gap.

Government Spinta Digitale Tax Credits For SME Digitalization

Italy earmarked EUR 24 billion in Transition 4.0 credits through 2025, reimbursing up to 50% of SME spend on e-commerce platforms, cloud ERP, and cybersecurity. Invitalia logged 12,000 grant applications in the first half of 2025, with a median project size of EUR 80,000. The program also funds workforce training, addressing a digital-skills deficit that affects 54.2% of Italians. Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna captured nearly half of the approved projects, reflecting the concentration of export-oriented manufacturers integrating web-based procurement portals.^{[3]Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, “Transition 4.0 Program Details,” MINISTERO DELLE IMPRESE E DEL MADE IN ITALY, mise.gov.it}

Stringent PSD2 Strong Customer Authentication Friction

Italian regulators apply PSD2 rules so strictly that two-factor checks trigger even on sub-EUR 30 orders if merchants lack transaction-risk-analysis waivers. Banca d’Italia data show 18% of online payments failed authentication in H1 2025, up from 14% a year earlier. Shoppers older than 55, already under-represented online, abandon carts at a 28% rate when redirected to banking apps. Fashion and electronics sellers, where average tickets exceed EUR 50, lose up to one-quarter of sessions when strong customer authentication steps in. Any regulatory relief is unlikely before 2027, compelling retailers to fine-tune exemption logic to reclaim conversions.^{[4]European Banking Authority, “PSD2 Regulatory Technical Standards,” EUROPEAN BANKING AUTHORITY, eba.europa.eu}

Fragmented Last-Mile Logistics In Southern Regions

Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia together house 18% of the population but just 11% of parcel flows, a gap driven by sparse road networks and higher per-stop costs. Carriers levy EUR 3-EUR 8 surcharges per parcel to Basilicata, Molise, and rural Apulia. Longer lead times discourage online grocery orders that depend on freshness, holding back category growth. Parcel lockers slated for nationwide rollout will reach southern provinces only after 2028, delaying relief. Low return rates in the south mask consumer frustration because initiating pick-ups is cumbersome, inflating perceived satisfaction levels.

Segment Analysis

By Business Model: Compliance-Led Digitization Recasts B2B Economics

B2C transactions controlled 85.34% of the Italy e-commerce market share in 2025, yet the Italy e-commerce market size for B2B orders is projected to outpace consumer growth at an 11.87% CAGR, lifted by compulsory e-invoicing that removed turnover thresholds in 2024. Mandatory use of the national Sistema di Interscambio automates three-way matching and speeds cash application, which reduces working-capital drag for manufacturers in Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. 

Repeat purchasing and bulk baskets give B2B sellers stronger margin profiles than fashion or grocery sites, even as mobile procurement apps mirror consumer-grade usability. Transition 4.0 credits, covering half of the cloud-ERP investment, align directly with the EUR 80,000 median project cost logged by Invitalia, accelerating platform deployments that sync to the EU one-stop VAT regime.

By Device Type (B2C): Phones And Wearables Compress Checkout Time

Smartphones captured 56.42% of 2025 basket value and will widen their lead as software POS installations pass 200,000 units by 2027. Desktop sessions still yield order values 18% higher than mobile, reflecting their role in big-ticket electronics and furniture, but their share is slipping two percentage points each year. 

Wearables added EUR 2.5 billion in 2024 volume, indicating that the Italy e-commerce market is extending to any connected device with biometric login. The Italy e-commerce market size tied to desktops is shrinking, yet the channel remains critical for older buyers and corporate procurement teams that need spreadsheet-style interfaces.

By Payment Method (B2C): Installments Chip Away At Card Dominance

Cards held a 31.68% slice of 2025 spending, but BNPL volume grew 46% in 2024 and is forecast to post a 13.16% CAGR through 2031. Digital wallets already handle 28% of online outlays and are set to climb as SEPA Instant rails remove interchange costs. The Italy e-commerce market size associated with cards is therefore likely to plateau, while BNPL penetration deepens in fashion and electronics baskets averaging EUR 50-EUR 150. 

Scalapay’s dual licensing model satisfies fragmented regional credit rules, and card networks have responded by embedding installment logic directly into plastics, though uptake remains modest. Wallet players such as Satispay blur the BNPL boundary by allowing deferred settlement inside a standard account-to-account flow.

By Product Category (B2C): Grocery Outruns A Maturing Fashion Segment

Fashion and apparel delivered 26.67% of 2025 receipts, yet same-store growth is tapering as urban saturation nears 80% shopper penetration. Food and beverages, in contrast, will grow 12.43% annually as dark-store operators guarantee sub-30-minute fulfillment in Bologna, Verona, and Bari.

Electronics remain a core revenue pillar but face cross-border price pressure, leading domestic chains to leverage omnichannel pick-up and warranty add-ons. The Italy e-commerce market size linked to grocery will expand rapidly as ultra-fast delivery converts habitual in-store top-ups into multiple weekly app purchases, offsetting lower basket values.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Northern Italy commands the densest logistics grid, anchored by Zalando’s Verona megahub and a high locker concentration that significantly reduces failed-delivery costs. Smartphone penetration is among the highest in Lombardy, driving contactless payments to lead nationally. Robust industrial clusters in the region also channel B2B traffic into web portals optimized for the EU single-VAT scheme.

Central regions, including Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria, contribute a substantial share of national online spending relative to their population. Tax incentives encourage Rome-based SMEs to upgrade digital systems, and new BRT hubs in Perugia and Latina have improved delivery times. Tourism adds another demand driver as hotels and museums adopt online booking for foreign visitors, who have significantly boosted the economy.

Southern mainland and island provinces face challenges, with delivery density considerably lower than in the north and higher surcharges per parcel. Despite these obstacles, wallet adoption is growing rapidly, with a notable portion of Satispay’s new merchants coming from Campania, Puglia, and Sicily. Quick-commerce firms are targeting youth clusters in Bari and Catania, banking on speed to compensate for infrastructure gaps, even as locker rollouts lag behind other regions.