What is Italy's main problem? Inflation according to 70% of those interviewed who responded to the survey carried out by The European House – Ambrosetti, in collaboration with Amazon, entitled "Inflation and e-commerce: habits and perceptions of Italians". From the research presented in the Sala Zuccari of the Senate, in Palazzo Giustiniani (Rome) it emerges that for 9 out of 10 Italians the purchasing power has decreased in the last year and for this very reason many people intend to pay more attention to prices. In this context, 60% of respondents believe that e-commerce has contributed to containing inflation, allowing you to increase or maintain your purchasing power.
The trend of inflation
The economic recovery achieved by Italy in 2021 following the pandemic generated strong inflationary pressure, further accelerated in 2022 by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Percentages in hand, we have gone from a negative inflation rate (or in any case close to 0%) in 2020 to an average of 8,9% in the last year. It is no coincidence that 7 out of 10 Italians believe that theprice increase and the cost of living is today the main problem in Italy, almost 30 percentage points more than the second most felt problem, i.e. unemployment. It is, explains the study by The European Forum Ambrosetti, "a perception that cuts across all age groups and is uniformly present in all geographical areas".
The role and benefits of e-commerce
“In recent years, digitization has increasingly become a fundamental factor for the life of citizens and business activities. Within the new paradigm, one of the most impacted sectors is commerce, and in particular the digital one. E-commerce is a transformative phenomenon, with significant economic, industrial and social benefits for citizens and the country-system. In fact, the social role of digital commerce also emerges from our study: in a context of high inflation, 6 out of 10 Italians believe that e-commerce has allowed them to increase or maintain their purchasing power over the last year" , he has declared Lorenzo Tavazzi, partner, The European House – Ambrosetti.
The aim of the study carried out by The European House – Ambrosetti in collaboration with Amazon was to analyse the impact of inflation on consumption habits of Italians and the role of electronic commerce. L'E-commerce, according to the research, is playing a strategic role in the current socio-economic context, with 60% of Italians claiming that it has contributed to containing inflation, allowing them to increase or maintain their purchasing power.
The survey shows a greater perception of thecheapness of the online channel among the youngest and citizens with higher levels of education. While the benefits in terms of greater accessibility and breadth of supply are perceived above all by the older age groups. “The perception of the benefit of online commerce on purchasing power is then greater where inflation has hit the hardest and, mainly in the South” underlines the study, according to which the benefits of e-commerce do not refer only to prices, but also to the greater availability and at most wide offer online of many products, especially in the smaller Municipalities.
E-commerce as a tool for promoting Made in Italy
According to the survey, e-commerce can also become a tool for promotion of Made in Italy. It is no coincidence that 3 out of 4 Italians buy Made in Italy products via e-commerce. Among the most popular product categories online are Fashion (43,7%), Food&Beverage, (32,5%) and Furniture (23,4%), i.e. the «3F» of Made in Italy in which Italy is recognized as a leader at an international level, representing 30% of added value (74,8 billion euros), 37% of exports (125,3 billion euros) and 40% of employment of the Italian manufacturing system (1,5 million employed).
In this context, “Amazon takes first place among the main brands – both physical and marketplace – with the greatest benefits perceived by Italians on the contribution to purchasing power, cost-effectiveness, variety and breadth of the offer”, highlights the research. “In times of difficulty, people tend to choose companies they trust and that offer the best value for money,” he says. Mariangela Marseglia, country manager Italy and Spain of Amazon – It's what Italians have found in e-commerce and we've been committed to it since day one: offering low prices, a wide selection of products, fast deliveries, and an efficient after-sales service”.
Effects on traditional trade
The reflection contained in the study on the relationship between e-commerce and traditional commerce is interesting. According to the survey, in fact, the greater diffusion of e-commerce brings with it benefits for consumers also thanks to the improvement in the offer of physical retailers: 1 out of 4 Italians observed an improvement in the offer of traditional commerce in recent years, in terms of greater cost-effectiveness (49,1%), easier access to information on discounts and promotions (42,5%) and improved quality of assistance service (40,3%). An example of this effect is the Black Friday, become a custom also for traditional trade.
“E-commerce has changed purchasing habits in our country. However, innovation has important social and cultural costs if it is not managed properly: the competitive context and the explosion of e-commerce due to the pandemic should have led traditional commercial activities towards the activation of digital channels. Actually, digitization is ongoing but is developing discontinuously. To make up for these weaknesses, the Chamber of Commerce system makes Digital Business Points (PID) available to companies and entrepreneurs in order to accompany small-medium Italian enterprises in hooking up to the opportunities of the digital revolution. The most tangible measure of the country's benefit from online commerce is measured externally,” he said Giuseppe Tripoli, general secretary of Unioncamere who, speaking during the presentation of the report, underlined: "It is therefore necessary to support small-medium Italian enterprises in the internationalization process, exploiting the opportunities offered by digital channels and e-commerce".
