The survey conducted by Quaeris in December to understand Italians’ online shopping habits reveals a country that is deeply digitalized in its purchases, but not when it comes to food products.
The survey shows that 95.2% of Italians have shopped online at least once, while only 4.8% have never made online purchases, highlighting that digital shopping in Italy is now the norm.
Regarding the choice of purchase categories, electronics and technology emerge at 50%, a sector where online comparison is preferred to any in-store consultation. Cosmetics and personal care follow closely at 45.5%, while books, music and films are at 31.8%, followed by clothing and sporting goods at 27.3%. When it comes to food products, Italians prefer shopping directly at retail locations, remaining faithful to our tradition of valuing food quality.
The preferred platforms for online shopping are Amazon at 63.6%, while 45.5% purchase directly from brand websites. Shein and Zalando rank third at 13.6%, while Vinted and Subito.it reach 9.1% this latter figure indicates an interest in the second-hand and recycling market that promotes a circular economy.
Digital Italy, as captured by the Quaeris survey, shows itself to be digital in shopping but absolutely traditional when it comes to food purchases. A contradiction that raises interesting questions about the future of food retail.