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.
To demonstrate how valuable this can be, especially to small businesses located in areas that are more remote or less prosperous, this report explores eBay “Digital Density” data, a measurement of eBay small business activity on a per-capita basis. While eBay small business activity is present in every region, the most striking finding is that the top activity originates from the South, surpassing wealthier regions and those that are home to so-called tech “hotspots”.
The North-South economic divide in Italy has been well documented over the years. Despite significant resources directed at remedial programs to help the South catch up, the GDP per capita of the South has fallen from 70 percent of the North’s in 1951 to only 55 percent in recent years.
Efforts to reduce the North-South gap remain a key focus in Italy’s investment policies and the national Recovery Plan. Approximately 40 percent of the Plan’s resources, totaling 82 billion euros, are dedicated to Southern Italy. The objective is to enhance the South’s competitiveness, focusing on digitization, infrastructure and education, positioning the South at the forefront of economic revitalization efforts. Reforms and investments are still in progress, with the Plan scheduled for completion in 2026.
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 provides a level playing field for small businesses.
eBay Digital Density analyses across dozens of countries in Europe and around the world have shown that strong communities of eBay small businesses emerge in areas that are not the wealthiest or most populous urban hubs.
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, among the most economically and socially disadvantaged areas.
Campania, ranking highest, has the second 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 | 44.4% (2) | 17.4% (1) | 19 |
| 2 | Abruzzo | 28.6% (6) | 8% (7) | 15 |
| 3 | Puglia | 32.2% (5) | 11.6% (4) | 18 |
| 4 | Basilicata | 27.3% (7) | 7.5% (8) | 13 |
| 5 | Calabria | 48.6% (1) | 15.9% (2) | 21 |
| 6 | Sicilia | 41.4% (3) | 15.8% (3) | 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 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.
A key partner for our growth in recent years has certainly been eBay, which gave us the possibility of being online in a very present way with a low investment.
Online platforms diminish the impact of geographic distance on commerce, crucially allowing small businesses in economically weaker areas, such as Italy’s South, to engage in international trade.
The dramatic expansion of remote commerce opportunities brought on by the eBay marketplace is reflected in the fact that a staggering 95 percent of eBay small businesses in Italy are exporters. This trade success far exceeds traditional businesses, as just 4.2 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 6 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.
29 percent of Italy’s eBay small business community were Global Sellers in 2023.
The top six regions - Campania, Abruzzo, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicilia - are all among the most economically disadvantaged and demonstrate that success in ecommerce is not limited to affluent, urban areas. Instead, 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.
The ecommerce analysis in this report is based on data covering transactions on eBay in 2023 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 9.240 (equivalent to USD 10 000 using 2023 exchange rates) 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 comm nity performs in relation to the national average.
*This links to an AI-generated podcast created by Google’s NotebookLM that provides an overview of the findings of the eBay Small Business Activity Across Italy Report.
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.