Factors Influencing the Use of E-Commerce in the Agri-Food Sector: An Analysis of Italian Consumers

Understanding the determinants of users’ propensity to purchase goods online is urgent for firms in the food industry. The present paper aims at analyzing how socio-demographic traits and characteristics influence consumers’ propensity to buy online. More specifically, the paper aims at understanding whether there are any differences or similarities in online purchases of food and beverage items vis-à-vis the purchases of non-food items. We find that a variety of sociodemographic characteristics influence online buying behavior and do soin nuanced ways. As far as food purchases are concerned, we find that males, aged 40-49 are more inclined to buy food and beverage online. While age and gender explain online shopping for food and beverage, other variables, such as education and place of residence, play a role in explaining the propensity to buy online non-food items. Several indications related to the preferences of customers in terms of additional services are proffered throughout the paper.