Oliver Margarson started dabbling in online sales while still attending University. As a student, he just wanted to sell some items to earn extra cash. In 2008 he turned this part-time venture into a full-time business. Electrolve Ltd, found on eBay under etwist_shop, is a small business selling audio-visual items and accessories and other small household electronics.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
| 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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
For the past decade, Globalparts-UK, co-founded by Michał Szpin, has been a vanguard in the used auto parts industry, especially on eBay. Starting from modest beginnings, the company has grown to become a major player, currently ranking second in the UK and leading in Europe. With two main warehouses in the UK and EU, along with several smaller return centers, Globalparts-UK has built an extensive logistics network.
In 2015, Paul and a friend from primary school were given two old sofas and had the idea to give used things a new life. This is how the foundation of a truly sustainable furniture trade was created in a rented garage in Cologne. They soon developed a professional approach and a high-level knowledge base, and the used and revived products are now available in a Revive Store and at four sales partners in Germany, which are shipped all over the world.
This report explores the robust eBay selling communities operating in a wide mix of regions across Europe, whether viewed through the lens of geography, GDP per capita, or population, and how this is providing a hopeful counterweight to evidence that national capital regions and other urban centers are the only winners from the digital revolution.
During the second half of November, eBay launched a petition with our European seller community regarding the Digital Services Act (DSA) to urge policymakers to protect sellers’ rights as entrepreneurs. The petition was signed by 9,857 eBay users, representing 8,230 European small businesses.