2025: a turning point for Italian digital commerce

The Italian Digital Commerce Consortium, which brings together over 480 companies and has been a point of reference for e-commerce and digital retail in Italy since 2005, took stock of the major changes that have occurred in online commerce and the outlook for 2026 with the close of the past year.

2025 marks a turning point for Italian digital commerce, with eCommerce becoming a national infrastructure, reaching €150 billion in shared value, equivalent to 7 percent of GDP, and employing 1.8 million people, confirming digital as our country’s great economic engine.

The distinction between physical and digital is fading thanks to omnichannel models, driven by artificial intelligence, new touchpoints, and more mature customer journeys, particularly affecting the Food & Grocery, Fashion & Beauty, and Haelth & Pharma sectors. Four out of ten in-store purchases are affected by online touchpoints. Over 35.2 million Italians buy online.

At the heart of this shift is undoubtedly greater regulation of online shopping and growing consumer confidence. The digital Euro, transparency of payments and greater protection of reviews have led to an acceleration of an ongoing process and greater dialogue between businesses, institutions and consumers.

76.5% of product purchases go through the eRetailer and 60% are now made from smartphones.

LOOKING TO 2026: ENTERING THE VALUE COMMERCE ERA

From 2026, digital will evolve into Value Commerce: data shared along the file, ‘omnichannel as a competitive standard, Al and automation to support Joumey operations and customers, and sustainability as a market lever. The new European rules —from the Digital Euro to product passports — will redefine the competitive environment. For businesses, the goal will no longer be just “selling online”, but generating economic, experiential, environmental and social value.