eCommerce generates trust in Italian SMEs: 86,8% of companies that sell online are optimistic about their business prospects. This was revealed by a research commissioned by eBay to Human Highway which analyzed the optimism of Italian companies active in eCommerce.
The degree of optimism grows as one scrolls the Italian geographical map from North to South: from the northern regions (where it stands at 77% in the North East and 84,5% in the North West) through central Italy (85,5%) up to the south (89,2%) and, above all, to the Islands, where 100% of the companies interviewed stated that they were quite or very optimistic.
The research outlines an Italy made up of small and medium-sized enterprises that are leaving the crisis behind, thanks to the Italian entrepreneurial spirit and the opportunities offered by electronic commerce. In fact, two out of three companies declare that the situation of their business has improved compared to the toughest years of the crisis.
In this recovery, eCommerce plays a fundamental role and the Italian companies that use it are aware of it: 76,7% believe that eCommerce has helped them grow their business in the last 12 months. In particular, it is young people (87.3% in the 25-34 age group) who believe in the power of eCommerce as a driving force for their economic activity and, often, who bring family businesses online.
This is the case of Luca and Orazio, owners of La Bottega del Calzolaio: "Since we were children we have experienced the company first-hand thanks to our father and, a few years ago, we decided that the time had come to lead our company towards the future, investing in the online sale of our products” explain the two brothers. "Continuing the tradition with an eye to innovation has allowed us to become an important point of reference in our sector and to grow by 400% in the last year" concluded Luca and Orazio.
“At a time when, according to today's Istat data, the confidence index of traditional businesses is showing signs of recovery again, eCommerce is a real generator of optimism. Almost 9 out of 10 companies that sell online have a positive vision for the future and when optimism is accompanied by the quality of the work, the excellence of Made in Italy, the passion for one's entrepreneurial activity, then the Italian company becomes a success story that we envy all over the world. Over 30 Italian companies have already chosen to sell on eBay, finding in eCommerce and in our community a growth tool capable of unleashing their potential and entrepreneurial spirit", said Claudio Raimondi, General Manager of eBay in Italy.
