Italians on the podium of European e-commerce

The secondhand market is growing and has firmly established itself as a mainstream online shopping habit among Europeans, equaling e-shopping, which is used by 77% of the population. This year, a new record was also reached, with 52% of regular shoppers making almost one purchase a week. These are some of the key findings of the 2025 edition of the E-shopper Barometer conducted by Geopost, a multinational express delivery company operating in Italy under the BRT brand. Italians in particular take the top spot, with 84% of the population using the internet to shop online. This is below the European average for the proportion of regular shoppers, despite receiving an average of five packages per month. Bulgaria follows with 83% and Ireland with 82%. Lithuania brings up the rear with 67% and a growing trend. The share of regular online shoppers is 48% in Italy, below the European average, which sees Poland leading the way with 60%. It's the pursuit of convenience, the savings factor, that drives about two-thirds of regular e-shoppers in Europe to shop online, mainly for clothing, footwear, personal care and beauty products, books, and food products.

The most assiduous customers are to be found among the new generations: those of Gen Z in 2025 will make over 60 purchases a year and get inspiration and information from social media with 61% buying directly from these platforms, millennials 56 and Generation X make 42 purchases.

There's a two-faced effect, as nearly two-thirds of the pan-European sample buys and sells products on C2C platforms, a trend that's growing slightly. The driving force is the need to save money compared to new products. Among habitual online shoppers, 52% of Italians buy used items and 44% sell them, but more frequently, more than once a month. A 28% share of Europeans who have never purchased anything secondhand remains, while 29% buy and sell, and 27% buy without ever having sold anything.

"Online shopping has now become a fully-fledged part of many people's purchasing habits, thanks to the convenience of having their purchases delivered directly to their homes," comments Stefania Pezzetti, CEO of BRT. "From our national perspective, particularly after the lockdown, purchasing, receiving, and, in some cases, returning goods online are commonplace behaviors, which encourage us to manage deliveries quickly, on time, and, above all, sustainably. This is a comprehensive commitment that also encompasses well-being and improving lifestyles. For this reason, we are investing heavily in lockers, the "BRT-fermopoint" network, and a whole series of initiatives aimed at improving quality of life and reducing environmental impact." Satisfaction with online shopping remains high and has even improved since 2023, the date of the last survey, and at the same time, a greater level of customer engagement is evident. Home delivery remains the preferred option, but is weakening, while parcel lockers are gaining ground, having overtaken physical stores to become the second-most popular delivery method. This decisive shift reflects how European consumers are reshaping their expectations: younger generations and cross-border shoppers increasingly appreciate flexibility and convenience, and parcel lockers are seen as an ideal delivery option, without time constraints.