The online channel of Italy's large-scale retail trade exceeded a turnover of €1 billion in Italy in the first seven months of 2021, new data has shown.
Last year, the €1 billion-euro mark was reached at the end of October, indicating that Italian consumers have upped their spend through this channel, according to an IRI survey conducted for OsservaItalia, reports La Repubblica.
Summer Sales Boost
In July, sales jumped 20% compared to the same month the previous year, recording a turnover of €107 million.
The cumulative turnover for the last 12 months now stands at €1.65 billion, or 66% higher, year-on-year.
The outlook for August is equally positive, with a turnover of €85 to €90 million expected, representing growth of 0ver 20%.
A detailed analysis of last month's performance shows that practically all product departments recorded very similar growth rates, with the exception of Pet Care, which outperformed, seeing sales rise by twice the channel average.
Mature Phase
According to IRI, in recent months the online channel seems to have entered an initial phase of maturity, maintaining a significant growth trend, but more contained than in previous years.
Currently, the online channel of operators in the large scale Italian retail sector exceeds 2%, a figure that is in line with the average of the Top 25 players in the branded sector.
One retailer that has seen a boost in online sales is market leader Conad, which in July announced a €1.8 billion investment strategy, under which it will enhance its digital capabilities, as well as upgrade stores and expand its private label offering.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Technology news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
