Over 800 participants joined for an average of 101 minutes out of the total of 132: a major achievement for the webinar An e-commerce compass? held on last January by Fiera Milano Media - Business International in the run-up to Transpotec Logitec. A figure that is testament to the centrality of the theme, e-commerce, which is revolutionising shopping habits and methods.

According to data released by the B2C E-commerce Observatory, sponsored by Netcomm and the School of Management at the Polytechnic University of Milan, e-commerce in Italy reached a value of around 22.7 billion euro in 2020, with record growth of +26%, 4.7 billion more than in 2019.  It's as if there were a 10 year evolutionary leap to digital between March and May 2020 alone: the buying habits and behaviour of Italian consumers shifted in favour of e-commerce, enabling business continuity for many companies and individuals.

Significant figures, which every sales and production sector is called to reflect on, may represent a particularly unique opportunity for growth for logistics.

If it’s true that parcel delivery is the final step of a shopping experience that begins long before where it is played out on the efficiency and attractiveness of a digital environment, it is also true that customer satisfaction and choosing to repeat the shopping experience and not return a product are linked to the very moment a product is received.

Efficiency, care, speed and free delivery are key elements contributing to customer satisfaction.

As such, logistics becomes a fundamental link in the sales chain. Correctly managing parcel deliveries becomes a distinctive feature, which leading e-commerce figures often play on.

That’s why online shopping might be a springboard of development for the world of carriers. A unique opportunity to be seized and nourished, particularly by lining up alongside small and medium-sized businesses entering this market. Actually, smaller companies are the ones you can foster real logistics partnerships with, in the knowledge that their role is set to change. How are delivery logistics are set to evolve? Home delivery — and subsequently paid delivery — are likely to continue as an exclusive domain for more fragile categories, while physical shops will increasingly turn into pick-up points for online purchases.

This is where the role of the carrier comes into play: moving from a low-value service to a technological partner whose business and skill become vital for any e-commerce to succeed.