Milano Day of Licensing Returns

pandemic in Italy was the growth in online shopping. Italians have traditionally preferred to shop in-store and pay by cash. However, as a result of the pandemic, consumers began buying items online in record numbers with 75% of Italians shopping online during the lockdown. Up to two million Italians tried ecommerce for the first time between January and May 2020 and this growing trend is expected to remain, post restrictions. As consumer shopping and spending habits shifted online, brands became increasingly aware of the importance of having an online division of their business. As you would expect, the food and grocery sector saw the greatest increase during lockdown with a 70% rise year on year. E-commerce giant Amazon became the most popular online store in Italy with food, wine, home-office equipment and fitness products high on the list. As e-commerce grew in Italy in 2020, many consumers turned to mobile devices to make their purchases with 51% of B2C purchases taking place on a smartphone. At the same time, social commerce, which allows brands to combine engaging social content with shoppable products, rose in popularity. Time spent on Facebook soared by 70% in Italy during March 2020 with consumers accessing shopping and entertainment via the platform. Interestingly, clothing and sports apparel have become the most popular product categories for online shopping in Italy. However, security is a major concern amongst younger consumers. In a recent survey, a third of Millennials say they do not trust their credit card or banking information online. Cross-border commerce is gaining in prominence, with consumers looking to buy from overseas, primarily driven by the lack of domestic options available. China, the UK and Germany all benefit from being Italy’s most popular e-commerce markets for Italians looking for variety and choice.

Top Retailers in Italy (Turnover in Million €)

Retailer Turnover No Stores

1 Coop Italia 14,800 1,118 2 Conad 13,400 2,664 3 Selex 10,900 2,500 4 Esselunga 7,914 157 5 Gruppo Vege 6,818 3,054 6 Crai 6,148 3,600 7 Eurospin 5,860 1,050 8 Carrefour 5,265 959 9 Lidl 4,700 600 10 Despar 3,509 1,244

Milano Licensing Day returns live in September

On September 15, Milano Licensing Day will open its doors again for a full day dedicated to the Italian licensing business, and the event organizers are already at work. Milano Licensing Day has become the reference event, not only for local professionals, but also for any non-domestic IP owner wishing to get in contact with Italian partners. Despite the last two years of the pandemic, this event has been the only one of its kind to keep a live format, last year unleashing the enthusiasm of more than 500 people gathering around the NHow Congress Center in via Tortona, the heart of fashion and design district of Milan. “We shaped Milano Licensing Days as the after-summer, back-to-business event, early September every year, where Covid-19 curves during those last two editions lost a bit of their traction” says Paolo Lucci, Managing Director of MLD Entertainment, the event organizer. “ We were probably lucky to be able to deliver – two years in a row – such a successful event during such a critical situation”. “It was not easy to manage more than 500 people gathering there under safety restrictions which we decided should be stricter than the goverment requirements” echoed Vanessa Stillitano, event manager “But all visitors and sponsors were heartfully enthusiastic, particularly last year, to get together again”. An ongoing enthusiasm it seems, as many exhibitors and sponsors have already booked for the 2022 edition in order to keep that momentum going. “Many last years’ first timers, mainly non Italian exhibitors, are now asking - eight months ahead, about this years’ availability and new features” declares Gisella Barabino, event manager at MLD Entertainment. Effective business matching services and pitching sessions, all in a unique one-day-only format, are the secrets of the Milano Licensing Day recipe. Along with some new features which are taking shape in the coming weeks, they will be at center stage this year again on 15th September, at NHow Congress Center in Milan. For more information, contact: evento@ milanolicensingday.it