Italy

The rumors had been circulating for a while, but now it’s official: Mytheresa wants to acquire industry peer Yoox Net-a-Porter from Richemont. This will create a “leading, global, multi-brand digital luxury group”, according to the involved parties. As part of the deal, Richemont will acquire a 33 percent stake in the rapidly growing Mytheresa.

DHL eCommerce has formed a joint venture with the state postal company Poste Italiane. Together, they aim to build a network of ten thousand parcel lockers across Italy. The opening of the first parcel locker in Rome marks the start of Locker Italia, the name given to the joint venture.

No country in the world has as many internet users shopping online as the Netherlands, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The ecommerce penetration rate is 84 percent. At least four out of five internet users in the UK, Sweden, and Denmark also shop online.

Amazon is the largest online furniture retailer in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. In France, the American giant lags behind Ikea, which also ranks in the top three in other major European countries. Only in Germany does a local player, Otto, lead the market.

TikTok is set to introduce its ecommerce activities in continental Europe soon. The company has started inviting merchants to beta-test in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Launches in other European countries are likely to follow eventually.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has received a fine of 10 million euros for unfair trade practices from Italian antitrust authority AGCM. The fine applies to two of the Group’s subsidiaries: Amazon Services Europe and Amazon EU.

Online sales in Italy are estimated at 80.55 billion euros in 2023. This is an increase of 27.14 percent compared to a year before. On average, Italian online stores grew almost 29 percent in terms of turnover.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has reached an agreement with the Italian state railways. Together, they are launching a rail service to move products between distribution centers in Italy and Germany by train. This could greatly reduce the marketplace’s CO2 emissions.

Amazon announced plans to use drones while delivering packages to customers in the United Kingdom and Italy starting next year, with services set to commence at undisclosed locations before the end of 2024. Selected customers will be able to have items weighing up to approximately 2 kilograms delivered to their gardens by a drone.

Amazon is making a fresh start with Amazon Shipping, the shipping service that online retailers can also utilize for orders beyond the platform. The service has been reintroduced in the United Kingdom and is now also accessible to online retailers in France, Italy, and Spain.

From 1 August, Hermes Fulfilment will take over a dispatch center in Valdengo, Northern Italy. The center specialises in the logistical processing of low-volume product ranges. ‘By taking over the site in Valdengo, we can establish ourselves on the European market’, says CEO Kevin Kufs.

The total ecommerce turnover in Italy is estimated to have been worth 75.89 billion euros in 2022. This is a growth of 18.6 percent, when compared to a year earlier. However, most of that growth was caused by price increases.

Fashion retailer Yoox is adding a secondhand category on its marketplace. The pre-owned category is available in nearly 30 European countries. Later this year, the marketplace is planned to launch in the United States and Middle East as well.

Non-food online sales in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are expected to grow up to 4 percent. This is mostly driven by rising prices due to inflation. At the same time, sales volumes are set to fall up to 5 percent.

Swiss online department store Galaxus has launched in Italy. The company wants to grow a loyal customer base. It is the company’s newest expansion after previous launches in Germany, Austria and France.