eBay Small Business Activity Across Italy

Introduction
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eBay enables small businesses to succeed in countries across the globe.

This is equally true in Italy, where entrepreneurial small businesses have thrived on our level-playing field marketplace for almost 25 years, taking advantage of sales opportunities locally, nationally, and across borders. In fact, nearly every small business in Italy on eBay is an exporter, reaching across Europe and major global markets. This is especially valuable to small businesses located in areas that are more remote or less prosperous. This report reveals data showing that Italy may be the clearest example of that phenomenon.

eBay “Digital Density” is a measurement of eBay small business activity on a per-capita basis. In this report, it is used to rank the eBay small business communities in Italy’s 21 NUTS2 level regions. The data shows small business activity on eBay in every region of Italy. But the most striking fact revealed by the Digital Density data is that the top eBay small business activity is coming squarely out of the South at rates that beat out every other region, including those that are wealthier and home to so-called tech “hotspots”.

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of Italy's eBay small businesses are exporters.
eBay small business exporters average
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different export markets per year.
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of eBay small businesses serve customers in 10 or more international markets.
Introduction
Regional economic disparities remain a top challenge for Italy
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Of the top five economies in the European Union, Italy has had the toughest time recovering from the series of global economic shocks beginning with the 2008 financial crisis.

The economic disparity between the North and South of Italy has been well documented and studied for decades. And Italy’s national governments have directed significant resources over many years at remedial programs and investments intended to help the South catch up.

Regardless of whether developmental disparities between Italy’s North and South are considered in the context of recent decades, the century-plus since national independence, or even stretching back multiple centuries, the problem continues to impact the contemporary economy.

Reducing the North-South gap still stands as a key focus in the country’s investment policies and in the national Recovery Plan.

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At eBay, I feel heard and supported. Their support team has opened my eyes to opportunities I had never considered and provided me with marketing and management tools that have made me grow beyond my expectations. For me, eBay is not just a sales platform, it is a partner who stands by me day in and day out.

Mastrochirico Vito
Mastrochirico Vito
Collectionerd-shop
Mola di Bari
Regional economic disparities remain a top challenge for Italy
eBay Digital Density reveals small business success in southern Italy
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eBay “Digital Density” is a measurement of eBay small business activity on a per-capita basis. It facilitates comparisons of the level of entrepreneurial activity on the eBay marketplace between regions that have widely different population levels and profiles.

eBay’s global marketplace is a level-playing field for small businesses.

eBay small businesses operate from a wide range of locales and regions, with Digital Density rankings often led by regions marked by smaller cities, towns, and even rural districts.

eBay small business activity in Italy is the most striking example of inclusive ecommerce success possible. The most economically challenged areas of Italy dominate the ranking of per capita eBay small business success.

The top six eBay Digital Density regions in Italy are all in the South.

Campania, which ranks highest for eBay Digital Density, has the highest share of its population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest unemployment rate, and third-lowest regional GDP per capita.

eBay small business communities in these six southern regions do not just match the success of those based in more advantaged regions, they exceed them all.

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eBay Digital Density Rank NUTS2 Region % Population at Risk (Rank) Unemployment Rate (Rank) GDP per Capita Rank
1 Campania 46.3% (1) 17.1% (1) 19
2 Abruzzo 35.3% (7) 9.4% (7) 14
3 Basilicata 28.3% (8) 7.1% (9) 15
4 Puglia 35.9% (6) 12.1% (4) 18
5 Calabria 42.8% (2) 14.6% (3) 21
6 Sicilia 41.4% (3) 16.6% (2) 20
Vector
Campania
is not just the eBay Digital Density leader in Italy, it ranks very near the top of eBay small business success across the EU overall.

While small businesses across all of Italy are using eBay, the data clearly shows that southern Italy is home to the most robust eBay small business communities.

A snapshot of poverty in top eBay Digital Density regions in Europe

The main indicator of poverty used by the European Commission is the share of the population “At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion” (AROPE). The table lists the top three NUTS2 regions for eBay Digital Density in Italy, Spain, Germany, and France.  Regions in teal have AROPE levels above the national average, while regions in white have levels below the national average.  Italy is the only country with all three top Digital Density regions facing significantly above average poverty rates, and Campania is the only region in Europe that leads its country in both Digital Density and AROPE.

Country / NUTS2 Region AROPE %
Germany 20.9%
Oberpfalz 14%
Dresden 15.5%
Detmold 26.5%
Country / NUTS2 Region AROPE %
France 21%
Alsace 19.6%
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azure 23.7%
Centre-Val de Loire 20%
Country / NUTS2 Region AROPE %
Spain 26%
Madrid 20.3%
Valenciana 27.5%
Cataluña 20.4%
Country / NUTS2 Region AROPE %
Italy 24.4%
Campania 46.3%
Abruzzo 35.3%
Basilicata 28.3%

The economic opportunities provided by eBay are enormous! eBay connects me with shoppers from all over the world and allows my small business to remain competitive, overcoming the limits of my local market and still represents our main means of sales in Italy and Europe.

Maria Napolitano 1
Maria Napolitano
Motoricambieuropa
Brusciano
eBay Small Business Activity Across Italy
eBay Digital Density reveals small business success in southern Italy
Small online business exporting success across Italy
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Just as digitalization is facilitating meaningful remote work in an increasing number of fields, distance matters less for online commerce, facilitating international trade, especially by small businesses.

This ability to export is especially valuable when the local market is depressed, whether due to a downturn or, in the case of Italy’s South, long-term economic weakness.

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Vector (1)
Share of eBay small businesses exporting

The dramatic expansion of remote commerce opportunities brought on by the eBay marketplace is reflected in the fact that a staggering 94 percent of eBay small businesses in Italy are exporters. This trade success far exceeds traditional businesses, as just 4.4 percent of all Italian businesses export.

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eBay small businesses
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Traditional businesses
Vector (2)
Average number of international destination markets

In Italy, the average number of international markets reached by eBay small business exporters is 15. The comparable rate for Italy’s traditional businesses is 5 international markets.

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eBay small businesses
compared to
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Traditional businesses
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Share of eBay small businesses exporting to 10 or more international markets
51%
of eBay small businesses in Italy serve customers in 10 or more international markets.
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eBay global exporters

Though a non-traditional measurement of scale and scope of exporting activity, we have calculated the continental reach of eBay small businesses to illustrate the global reach of many eBay small business exporters.

31 percent of Italy’s eBay small business community were Global Sellers in 2022.

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For us, eBay represented a true business incubator, the tool that allowed us to be born, develop and then expand globally: from Uzbekistan to the Seychelles, from Burkina Faso to Brunei,
in 15 years we have carried out shipments in 129 different countries and on all continents!

Mask group
Alberto Liguori
Golden.Outlet
Napoli
Small online business exporting success across Italy
Conclusion
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While digitalization and ecommerce are often perceived as exacerbating economic inequality to the benefit of wealthy regions, eBay Digital Density data from Italy is a striking counterpoint.

eBay’s level-playing field marketplace, which enables even very small enterprises to reach millions of remote consumers, including through exports, offers especially valuable opportunities to small businesses based in traditionally challenged areas.

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Thanks to our deep roots in the Italian entrepreneurial fabric and our close partnership with eBay, we have turned Yeppon from having a local perspective into being a global player. This partnership has allowed us to export Italian excellence and innovation beyond national borders, reaching customers around the world and demonstrating that geographic barriers can be overcome through e-commerce.

Danilo Longo 1
Danilo Longo
Yeppon-shop
Paderno Dugnano
Conclusion

Notes

The ecommerce analysis in this report is based on data covering transactions on eBay in 2022 unless otherwise indicated. When analyzing the activities of small businesses on eBay, the data was limited to transactions by sellers who were registered businesses in Italy with sales of EUR 9.510 (equivalent to USD 10 000) or more annually on the eBay marketplace. In this report, these sellers are called “eBay small businesses”. 

Calculating eBay Digital Density: Digital Density is a measurement of the per capita eBay selling activity carried out by registered eBay small businesses in a jurisdiction. Digital Density in this report is calculated at the NUTS2 regional level. The level of Digital Density is based on two factors – (1) the number of eBay small businesses per 100,000 inhabitants and (2) the total sales by eBay small businesses per 100,000 inhabitants. These two factors are combined in a weighted average and normalized in an Index based on how a region’s eBay seller community performs in relation to the national average.

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