E-Commerce

There is a lot and why it is convenient to use it

E-commerce continues to grow in Italy and this is attested by the data from the B2c e-commerce Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano. Among other things, this is the only sector to grow double-digit today in our country

However, it seems that companies today still fail to exploit its potential

If on the one hand companies have not yet fully perceived the potential of the online sales channel in order to make the most of it, on the other hand there is a problem of lack of the means necessary to implement a fundamental transformation.

Before talking about e-commerce, however, it is good to address the issue of the relationship that this has with the traditional channel. On the one hand, we are talking about the relationship between physical store and online store and on the other hand about a change that must take place in the sector regarding the same relationship between seller and buyer. Change that companies must implement as soon as possible, in order to fully grasp the potential of this interrelation. Today it no longer makes any sense to speak of distinct and parallel realities, but of integration and omnichannel. Integration between physical store and online shop must mean convergence; convergence must rhyme with coexistence, between two realities to be read as absolutely complementary and which, only in integration, can lead to significant growth for the sector.

Integration must also mean synergy and complementarity, among the various channels that Retail has available today. And the effectiveness of this integration is to be found in the ability of the retailers themselves to innovate.

Technology has a truly fundamental role, as it must support companies by providing tools through which to improve the customer experience, making it innovative and valuable. Facilitating the purchasing process through the various channels, creating a real innovative market model and investing with a view to transforming and offering experiences - in store as well as online - are therefore the key factors for success.

It is also necessary to analyze how shopping habits change. Today more and more customers look for and find an item online, go to the store to try it on, buy it and ask to receive it at home, but - vice versa - it also happens that they buy a product online and then collect it in the store. Today the combinations are endless and this happens in all retail sectors, from food, to clothing, to consumer electronics, DIY, home furnishings.

"The consumer is more attentive and we must interpret every second of the changing world"

It is time for a new challenge, made up of an increasingly personalized offer; a different conception of the stores and a dialogue to be built with the consumer It is essential to invest in changing and improving the relationship with the customer.It is important to make the most of the key success factors of the individual channels, amplifying them precisely in integration.

It is necessary to dispel the negative prejudice that sees emmerce responsible for the "bad luck" of traditional trade.

There are users who buy a product online, but who then go to the point of sale to find and receive, for example, advice and value-added services

As stated by Alessandro Perego, Scientific Director of the Digital Innovation Observatories, commenting on the research "To talk about a truly competitive and mature e-commerce in Italy, traditional sellers must have vision, courage and perseverance, going all the way into their projects digital ".