The 4th edition of Casaleggio Associati’s research maps the technologies and services for ecommerce in Italy: where merchants invest, which partners they choose, and how ready their websites are for AI agents.
Milan, Italy, 28 October 2026 – Casaleggio Associati today presented its new research, Ecommerce Tech Trends 2026.
According to the study, 90% of merchants operating in Italy say they are working—or preparing to work within the next year—to be found by AI assistants. However, an analysis of the top 1,000 online stores in the Ecommerce Italia ranking by revenue reveals a significant readiness gap: only 9% make the four pieces of information needed to compare an offer readable by an AI agent: price, availability, shipping cost, and return conditions.
“Artificial intelligence introduces a new intermediary between companies and consumers. A growing share of site browsing, product search, and offer comparison may be delegated to AI agents,” said Davide Casaleggio, President of Casaleggio Associati. “A company can have an excellent product and an effective website and still lose sales if AI assistants struggle to understand and compare its offer. The research data show a market moving in this direction, with technological readiness still limited. The next competition in ecommerce will also be about getting into the decisions of algorithms.”
The research is based on surveys and interviews with 148 companies (53 merchants, 63 suppliers, 32 agencies and consulting firms) and on the review of 1,000 websites across 121 aspects.
Main Findings of the Research about Ecommerce Tech Trends 2026:
- Platforms: The area with the most satisfied merchants (83%) and the one where 59% plan new investments.
- Innovative Technologies: Lowest satisfaction (38%), but 58% of merchants are ready to invest.
- Logistics: Identified as the most urgent challenge, with one company in four planning no investment.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): 54% of merchants are already optimizing for AI assistants, and another 37% will do so within the year.
- Data Readable by AI Agents: Shipping cost (18%) and return conditions (15%) are the pieces of information least often available in a machine-readable format.
- Agencies: 53% have at least one proprietary product or software, while the model based only on services and consulting has fallen to 6%.
The report, produced with the support of Base.com and CommerceClarity, analyzes platforms, payments, logistics, catalog, marketing, advertising, CRM, innovative technologies, and agencies. Crossing satisfaction with investment intentions, the areas fall into four groups: platforms and CRM drive spending; payments and logistics are consolidated areas; innovative technologies are the most contestable area; and catalog and marketplaces are split between the 35% investing significantly and the 28% with no investment.
Merchants and suppliers read the market differently. The two sides agree only on integration with existing systems as an obstacle to adopting new technologies. 58% of merchants have doubts about return on investment, and 40% find it hard to verify supplier reliability—a problem suppliers acknowledge in only 15% of cases. Conversely, 64% of suppliers point to clients’ limited in-house expertise, a cause cited by only 10% of merchants.
The report contains maps of technologies, services, and agencies for ecommerce in Italy, detailing the suppliers active in each area and their specializations. It is designed for ecommerce managers, business owners, and digital leads who need to decide where to invest over the next twelve months and with which partners.
The results were presented today at the Ecommerce Tech Summit, organized in collaboration with 4eCom, the Italian association of ecommerce solutions and technologies, and discussed with managers from Miamo, Carpisa, King, Teddy, Decathlon, and PittaRosso, as well as with event partners Base.com, CommerceClarity, HeyLight, and Solidgate.
Download the full report: https://www.ecommerceitalia.info/en/download-focus-
en/ecommerce-tech-trends-2026-english/
About Casaleggio Associati
Casaleggio Associati is a research and consulting firm focused on digital transformation and ecommerce. The company publishes annual research on the Italian and international digital markets, providing strategic insights for businesses navigating technological change.
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