Overseas
In 2025, Italy B2C eCommerce 2025 Food & Grocery growth confirms a structural shift in the national retail system. Total B2C eCommerce in Italy reached €62.3 billion, marking a +7% increase compared to 2024. This is according to research conducted by the Politecnico di Milano through its Osservatori eCommerce B2c e Innovazione Digitale nel Retail, which highlights an increasingly integrated distribution model between physical and digital channels.
Within this framework, the online Food & Grocery segment also recorded a +7% growth rate, positioning itself among the most dynamic categories in Italian eCommerce. While the research does not break down individual product segments, this performance directly concerns the seafood market, particularly processed and packaged products destined for large-scale retail distribution.
The Weight of Digital in Consumer Spending
In detail, online product purchases reached €40 billion in 2025 (+5%), while services accounted for €22.3 billion (+9%). The overall online penetration rate climbed to 13% of total consumption, with products at 11% and services at 18%.
These figures confirm that digital is no longer a secondary sales channel but a structural component of Italian retail, even amid declining purchasing power. At the same time, the physical retail network continues to contract. At the end of 2024, Italy counted 539,789 retail outlets, representing a -2.8% year-on-year decrease. Over the past decade, more than 85,000 stores have disappeared nationwide.
Implications for the Seafood Sector
For the seafood industry, the expansion of online Food & Grocery is particularly relevant for categories best suited to digital sales: canned seafood, frozen products, ready-to-eat items, and other value-added processed goods. In these segments, online and omnichannel distribution require not only supply continuity but also structured, reliable, and system-integrated product information compatible with large-scale retail platforms.
In this evolving landscape, the product remains central. However, its competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to present it consistently and transparently throughout the entire purchasing journey, both online and in-store.
Artificial Intelligence and Data Management in Retail
The research also underlines the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in retail processes. In 2025, 46% of Italy’s top retailers have structurally integrated traditional AI solutions, while 76% have launched at least one generative AI pilot project.
Applications mainly concern product sheet creation and management, customer service support, and personalization of the shopping experience.
Data management has also become a strategic priority: 89% of retailers have strengthened data collection and analysis systems, investing in Business Intelligence Analytics, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Customer Data Platforms (CDP). This transformation indirectly affects the seafood supply chain, which is increasingly required to provide comprehensive, consistent, and up-to-date product data.
The Store as a Hybrid Space
Innovation is not limited to digital channels. Retailers are investing in physical-digital continuity models, introducing self-checkout, self-scanning, digital couponing, and in-store app functionalities. At the same time, new retail formats are emerging, including proximity stores and experiential outlets designed to strengthen brand-consumer relationships.
For seafood products, this approach suggests a distribution model where physical and digital channels are complementary rather than alternative. Success depends on clear communication, reliable information, and well-integrated processes across the value chain.
A Reference Scenario for the Supply Chain
Although the data from the Osservatori eCommerce B2c e Innovazione Digitale nel Retail do not provide sector-specific figures for seafood, they outline a clear framework: online Food & Grocery growth represents a structural trend within Italian retail.
For companies operating along the seafood supply chain, from processing to distribution, the challenge is to position themselves effectively within this space. Product quality remains essential, but competitiveness increasingly relies on the coherent integration of product, information, and service across both digital and physical environments.
For more insights on the future of Italian and European fisheries and the blue economy, follow ongoing coverage and analysis on Pesceinrete.
