Online donations: what are the benefits?

In the era of E-Commerce, are there online donations? What are the advantages of receiving a free zero euro product?

It is not true that in the modern era “there is no free meal”: in the pandemic era and in the midst of the economic crisis caused by Covid-19, many online stores offer users the opportunity to receive free goods.

There are many products of each product category that can be found online at a cost of zero euros.

From clothing to footwear, from household appliances to pharmaceutical products, from household products to clothing for children: there are so many products offered by E-Commerce at zero prices.

E-Commerce: changes taking place in the aftermath of Covid-19

The pandemic has radically changed our habits. Over the last year, in fact, due to the stringent government regulations for containing the infection, Italians have known all the benefits offered by E-Commerce.

The health crisis has generated an unprecedented digital evolution of Italian lifestyles, also profoundly changing tastes and needs.

The frequency of purchases in E-Commerce has increased (+ 79%), home delivery remains the preferred way of receiving products for over 93% of users and cash is increasingly losing ground in favor of digital payments .

Italian consumers also require brands and commercial operators to adapt their services, taking advantage of digital opportunities to offer increasingly satisfying and safe experiences.

Unfortunately, the digitization of Italian companies is still far from the European average, but it is important that this moment of redefinition of economic balances can serve to bridge this gap.

E-Commerce: the scenario

Thanks to the data it is possible to have a clear picture: according to the latest data, the most mature sectors are growing at a sustained rate but below the market average.

Information technology and consumer electronics is worth 6.2 billion euros online (+ 20%), clothing 3.9 billion (+ 22%) and publishing 1.2 billion (+ 18%).

The emerging sectors recorded excellent results with much higher growth rates: food & grocery generates 2.7 billion euros (+ 70% compared to 2019) and furniture and home living 2.4 billion (+ 32%).

Growth was also good in the beauty and pharma sector, but also in games and car parts.

E-Commerce: the most requested free products

The more time spent at home during the periods of the lockdown and the restrictions imposed to contain the contagion have led to rediscovering the passion of Italians for furniture, DIY, plant care and the arrangement of their gardens.

In fact, over the last year, the product categories that have grown the most have been those related to furniture, gardening and do-it-yourself (+ 190.5%).

Those lucky enough to have an outdoor space have taken advantage of online donations to furnish and take care of it, preferring awnings, garden chairs, outdoor pools and barbecues.

Many have dedicated themselves to beautifying their home spaces, asking E-Commerce for carpets, interior curtains and new beds, or to equip their kitchen, mini-ovens, and food processors.

In addition to household products, personal care products also increased, with a growth of + 164.7%.

With the gyms closed, the demand for tools and accessories to practice one’s favorite sport at home increased by + 96.3%.

The boom in e-commerce has also affected other categories such as food & drink (+ 159.2%), products for animals (+ 116.5%), products for children and babies (+ 91.5%) , toys and gaming items (+ 88.7%), clothing and accessories (+ 72.7%).

Interest in electronics products grew, which increased by + 96.7%.

The tools for home office and remote teaching are in great demand and in particular webcams, multifunction printers and cartridges, monitors and notebooks, tools that many Italians have had to equip themselves with in order to continue working and studying in lockdown periods.

The sector of products dedicated to newborns is also growing.

Whether it is clothing, accessories or toys, the increase in requests and consequent sales is tangible.

An example is the baby carrier: this product has climbed the market trends becoming the most desired by all new parents.

Users could certainly not forget the beloved pets, which in Italian families are about 32 million, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals and reptiles.

Food and accessories for their well-being therefore become a necessity and are in great demand on the web.

E-Commerce, Online donations: benefits

Thanks to an E-Commerce that offers zero-euro products, it is possible to build customer loyalty and encourage customers to visit the site online daily.

In addition to the short-term advantages, every online seller can build a medium-long term competitive advantage and crowd out the competition.

Consumers can also receive free products to test and build loyalty with a brand or merchant.

E-Commerce: NS Plugin Free Price and Donation for WooCommerce

For E-Commerce owners who want to offer free products it is good to implement a plugin that works with all payment methods.

• Just select a single product or many products to set up at a free price.
• Set up a product as the donation product.
• See the total amount of donations.

NS Free Price and Donation for WooCommerce is open source software. For more information contact us report@nsthemes.com.