Online grocery market in Italy - statistics & facts
Italians are more likely to order their groceries online than most other Europeans. Nonetheless, the online grocery market has plateaued, with the market value of food delivery and online grocery combined remaining stable at 4.4. billion euros in 2023.
While six in ten grocery buyers still opt for the in-store shopping experience, shipping costs, possible mistakes with the articles, and non-availability of products still hinder Italian shoppers from buying their groceries online. AI solutions might help optimize the online shopping experience, as 35 percent of Italian retail professionals believe it will positively impact the supply chain over the next three to five years.
The latest growth rates of online revenue in grocery retail suggest the market might remain quite stable or grow mildly at the most, aligning with the significant number of Italian consumers who reported not engaging in online grocery shopping.
Role of grocery players
Thanks to their store network, supermarket chains are the established players able to initiate online grocery growth in a country where one in ten consumers does not have online or omnichannel grocery services available in their area. Grocery retailers partially integrated online services into their brick-and-mortar business. Supermarkets and their home delivery businesses populate the top-ranking positions of most-used online grocery stores, coming second to the big elephant in the room – Amazon. In 2023, the e-commerce giant outranked its competitors in terms of net sales and represents the most notable example of pure player generalist, a category accounting for roughly half of the Italian grocery market.Shopping habits in the spotlight
In Italy, coffee and tea, as well as rice and pasta, are the most purchased edible grocery categories online. In addition to that, perishables are becoming a sought-after category in Italians’ shopping lists, as the percentage of online shoppers buying fresh food and beverages has nearly doubled since 2017.While six in ten grocery buyers still opt for the in-store shopping experience, shipping costs, possible mistakes with the articles, and non-availability of products still hinder Italian shoppers from buying their groceries online. AI solutions might help optimize the online shopping experience, as 35 percent of Italian retail professionals believe it will positively impact the supply chain over the next three to five years.
The latest growth rates of online revenue in grocery retail suggest the market might remain quite stable or grow mildly at the most, aligning with the significant number of Italian consumers who reported not engaging in online grocery shopping.
