Italy - Growing Market, Extra Steps

Why Italy:

Italy’s ecommerce market is growing fast, but it has unique VAT and EPR challenges, so we recommend Italy as the second phase of your EU expansion.

Market Snapshot

eCommerce market €38B+
Top marketplaces: Amazon.es, El Corte Inglés, Carrefour
Strong mobile shopping penetration

Consumer Habits

Value price and convenience
Prefer credit/debit cards and cash-on-delivery
Expect fast delivery and flexible return policies

Category Insights

Health & Beauty: Rapidly growing; clear Spanish labelling required.
Toys: CE mark; Spanish-language instructions mandatory.
Electronics: WEEE registration; strict recyclin
Basic Goods: Simple compliance; ensure EPR registration.

Compliance Summary

VAT: Requires two VAT numbers; process can take 6–12 months.
EPR: Mandatory for packaging, electronics, batteries, textiles.
Labeling: Must be in Spanish; clear recycling info required.
EUDR: Traceable sourcing encouraged.

Launch tip: Begin VAT and EPR early while launching other EU markets first.