3 min. reading

Italian Consumers’ Buying Behavior Transforms: 57% Now Shop Primarily Online

Recent research indicates that Italian consumers' buying behavior has changed significantly and that online markets are now rather popular. Conducted by Istituto Piepoli in collaboration with Temu, the study reveals interesting aspects of the evolving retail environment.

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Italian Consumers’ Buying Behavior Transforms: 57% Now Shop Primarily Online
Source: Depositphotos

Italian Consumers’ Buying Behavior: Trust Increases

A poll of 1,000 Italian consumers reveals that 92% of them believe that buying directly from manufacturers offers better value without compromising quality, demonstrating their strong faith in online shopping.

Trust in digital platforms is still strong: 89% of respondents express confidence in their digital purchases and 87% report satisfaction with the quality of online products.

Economic Factors Affecting Development

Given that 90% of Italians list cost as their main concern, consumer decision-making in the current economic climate depends much on price sensitivity. Apart from basics and groceries, the typical Italian buyer paid 552 euros on online purchases last year. This shows a 10% rise in online buying; younger, male consumers are most likely to adopt the habit.

Changing Consumer Behavior

The study reveals some notable patterns in Italian buying behavior:

  • 57% of consumers now at least half of the time shop online
  • 86% would rather make purchases on digital channels
  • Over 80% of customers deliberately wait for sales before making a purchase
  • To save money, 77% of respondents are ready to tolerate more extended delivery times
  • 90% of respondents value promotional alerts
Italians Embrace Online Shopping

Source: Depositphotos

Changing Views of Quality

One interesting finding challenges the conventional wisdom regarding the relationship between price and quality. Only one-third of respondents still maintain a direct relationship between price and quality, indicating a shift in consumer perception.

The study claims that growing consumer demand for reasonably priced goods and technological developments cause a “decoupling” between perceived quality and price.

Platform Selection criteria

Italian consumers give three main criteria top importance while choosing online buying sites:

  • Competent rates (78%)
  • Product range of depth (65%)
  • Shipping services (62%)
  • 76% of respondents believe that, while selecting a platform, customer service quality is still rather crucial
  • 4 out of 10 consumers actively compare prices on several platforms before making a purchase

Temu’s Market Affective Power

Temu, who debuted into the Italian market in April 2023, has had a significant influence. The platform’s direct manufacturer-to—consumer business model—which eliminates middlemen—se seems to be a major component in its success. The survey indicates that around two-thirds of Temu users who know the app would recommend it to their friends and relatives.

Platform Usage Patterns

The study reveals special patterns among Italian Temu users:

  • Of those, 94% would rather shop online than in-store
  • 86% make at least once monthly orders
  • Main purchase categories are clothes (67%), household items (63%), and small appliances (61%)

This study indicates that the retail scene in Italy is changing significantly as more Italian consumers migrate to digital channels offering reasonable prices without compromising quality of products.

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Editor in Chief @ Ecommerce Bridge, Ecommerce Bridge