Il Netcomm Forum 2022 returns (in person and online) to tell the story Italian digital world. An essential appointment for all companies active in Italy in the field of e-commerce, marketing, digital payments and much more. Between the stands of the sponsors and the interventions we are exploring this vast universe, which increasingly includes also technologies such as VR, AR and the metaverse. But it starts from very solid foundations: 33.3 million Italians made purchases online in the last quarter, for a turnover that in 2022 will exceed 45 billion (+ 14%).
Netcomm Forum 2022 talks about digital in Italy
To welcome us during the very first plenary session in the morning there is Roberto Liscia, President of Netcomm. Which welcomed a truly huge audience: the physical version of the fair is very popular this year and many are following the event online (including some of our colleagues).
After the joy of the enormous response from digital professionals to the Netcomm Forum 2022, Liscia also expresses optimism regarding not only e-commerce but the entire economy of our country.
“We have now gone far beyond the meaning of eCommerce as ‘online shopping’. We are seeing how this sector has a decisive impact, not so much in terms of penetration on total retail, but rather in that an indispensable flywheel for the development of the Italian economy. This is why eCommerce today represents a real ecosystem, and as such it must be treated and regulated, according to an approach that takes into account both the global context in which Italian companies operate, and the peculiarities that characterize the global digital scenario. “
Liscia explains how we are facing an epochal moment for Italian businesses, which have the opportunity to respond to increasingly digital needs of consumers. By working in the supply chain and thinking in a system, there is the possibility of relaunching the Italian economy and projecting it into the future (also thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan).
Gen Z and the metaverse
In this context, Liscia also speaks of the so-called Generation Z, which represents “10% of the Italian population but 100% of the country’s digital future”. The very young have shown that they know how to make their reasons heard when it comes to environmentalism. And soon they will also be heard regarding the spending attitudes.
Two interesting points that emerged from Liscia’s speech concern on the one hand the values of Gen Z and on the other, the tools with which businesses can intercept them. On the one hand, there is the question sustainabilitynot only environmental but also social: they have already shown that they value the ethics of brands on issues such as racism and homophobia.
On the other hand, there are several new worlds in which intercept them. The world of virtual it becomes more and more a reality, but already today worlds like eSport and streaming they become channels in which marketing can be integrated, with enormous success rates.
This generation does not really perceive the boundary between offline and online: search for products on social networks or on the web and then ask friends for advice, while often feeling the need to go to a physical point of purchase. It is also a first generation video, which moves a lot between platforms.
Roberto Liscia, Netcomm President
And it’s ready for the Metaverso. According to Gartner, the 25% of people will use the metaverse for work, education, social or entertainment by 2026. In this dimension, personalizing the product becomes a fundamental key to success, erasing the distinction between social media and e-commerce.
Companies that do prepare for these trends in advanceor, according to Liscia, they have a chance to tap into huge momentum in the near future. Just as today triumph those who a few ago invested in the smartphone world.
Digital is driving the country to economic recovery
Valentina Pontiggia, Director of the B2c Netcomm eCommerce Observatory – Politecnico di Milanohe then led the discussion on the data collected by the Observatory on the digital world.
According to the statistical evidence, the online purchases by Italians grow by + 14% and reach altitude 45.9 billion euros. Both product sales (+ 10% for a total of 40 billion) and services (+ 28% and 11.9 billion) are up.
But Pontiggia points out that there are various discrepancies along the product sectors. In fact, the more ‘mature’ sectors slow down (clothing at + 10% and Tech at + 7%), while the Food & Grocery department rose by + 17%. In services, the Turismo (+33%).
“After two years of uncertainty, dictated by the health situation and the lockdowns, physical stores are back to ‘normal’. However, eCommerce, increasingly dynamic and transformative, remains the protagonist the growth strategies of retailers and the recovery in consumption ”explains Pontiggia.
Who dedicated part of his presentation to talk about the integration of experiences halfway between the physical and the purely digital. “The“ physical only ”retail space as well as the“ online only ”space continues to be progressively reduced to the advantage of omnichannel models that are able to combine the strengths of the various channels. The eCommerce purchases of Italians also recorded a growth trend in 2022. On the one hand, products slow down, with growth in absolute value returning to pre-Covid levels; on the other side, services are confirmed to be recovering, even if still far from the pre-pandemic data. “
Netcomm Forum 2022: 33.3 million Italians shop online
According to what emerges from the data of the Observatory, 33.3 million Italians have purchased goods or services online. On average, they made 1.3 purchases in the first quarter of 2022. Ecommerce involves many repeat customers, with 17.4 million people who have made more than three purchases and make 89% of transactions on the web. The sporadic buyers are 9.6 million.
Half of the Italians who use online purchases also know the phenomenon of Live Streaming Shopping. But at different rates: one in three Italians has never attended a live broadcast, while only 11% have made purchases during a live show.
The Netcomm Forum 2022 has just started but already highlights some important trends. Our editorial team is following the event closely and we will tell you all the most interesting news in the various areas. But if you are looking for some extra information, you can visit the official website of the event.