As pumpkins fill shop windows and the countdown to Black Friday begins, Italian online shoppers are gearing up for the busiest shopping season of the year. From Halloween treats to Black Week and Holiday shopping, the coming months will put e-commerce delivery networks to the test. Shopper expectations continue to rise, with growing demand for faster delivery, seamless online experiences, and flexible returns.
For Italian retailers, this is a crucial moment to refine last-mile strategies and prepare for the surge ahead. In this blog post, we’ll explore the key challenges — and how you can effortlessly win this peak season.
Italian consumer expectations for black friday 2025
Smart spending and growing trust: Italian shoppers enter Black Friday 2025 eager but cautious—about two-thirds plan to shop, focusing on diverse categories beyond tech. Over 70% use the event for early holiday purchases, driven mainly by deep discounts (55%) and free shipping (33%). Trust is strong, with 73% believing in the authenticity of offers, yet shoppers are increasingly selective—comparing prices, reviews, and sustainability credentials before buying.
Omnichannel habits and flexible shopping journeys: Shopping in Italy is now a hybrid experience: 41% of consumers mix online and offline channels, while 37% still prefer physical stores. They expect seamless transitions between platforms, consistent pricing, and multiple delivery options. Out-of-home pickup points (37%) and lockers (30%) are gaining traction for their flexibility, enabling customers to retrieve parcels anytime and minimizing failed deliveries.
Key challenges and pitfalls for retailers during peak season
Managing high order volumes: Maintaining inventory accuracy, order processing speed, and stock availability becomes difficult as warehouses operate at full capacity. Without the right forecasting and warehousing tools, even minor disruptions can lead to delayed shipments, overselling or dissatisfied customers.
Strain on last-mile capacity and performance: The last mile remains the biggest bottleneck during peak season in Italy. With delivery volumes surging, carrier networks face severe capacity pressure. This often leads to missed delivery windows, rising costs, and service variability across regions. A smart last-mile strategy supported by routing and real-time tracking can help maintain service reliability even when networks are stretched.
Balancing cost and speed: Italian consumers expect fast, flexible delivery — a combination that’s difficult to sustain during high-volume periods. Offering nationwide next-day delivery can inflate costs, while slower shipping risks losing conversions. Retailers must balance these by optimising carriers and streamlining routes.
How retailers can win this peak season
Capacity management
To make sure your network runs smoothly, share day-by-day forecasts with carriers and lock in your peak-week capacity early. Build a dual- or multi-carrier plan with automatic overflow by postcode and SLA — this helps you stay flexible when volumes surge. Also, spread your promotions across several days (via email or SMS) to avoid a single-day tsunami of orders.
Delivery options & cost
Give shoppers clear, side-by-side delivery choices at checkout — home delivery, pickup point, preferred delivery day or time, even safe-place or neighbour options. Offering evening or weekend delivery can make a big difference. And during peak, set realistic expectations — promising “1-2 days” instead of next-day everywhere keeps customers trust intact.
First-attempt success matters
Make every delivery count the first time. Ask customers for apartment or doorbell details, and let them choose a safe place or a trusted neighbour for drop-off. Send a live ETA and a quick link to adjust plans (like switching to a pickup point) if they won’t be home. For addresses with repeated misses, suggest pickup options right at checkout. Every successful first delivery means fewer “Where’s my order?” messages — and happier customers.
| Checklist Items | |
| Plan & prepare | ☐ Lock in peak capacity early and share daily forecasts. ☐ Stagger campaigns to spread out order volume. ☐ Adjust cut-off times and update promises in real time. |
| Deliver with confidence | ☐ Offer flexible delivery choices at checkout. ☐ Set 1–2 day delivery expectations during peak. ☐ Send live tracking and easy reschedule links to reduce WISMO. ☐ Ask customers for neighbour or safe-place preferences. ☐ Provide a simple redirect-to-pickup option before delivery. |
| Stock & fulfill smart | ☐ Keep inventory synced and buffers ready for top sellers. ☐ Publish clear holiday order-by dates (e.g., Sinterklaas). |
| Handle returns smoothly | ☐ Extend return windows through January. ☐ Enable paperless/QR returns and simple drop-offs. ☐ Process refunds fast to maintain customer trust. |
Win this peak season in Italy with smarter last-mile solutions with GOFO
Speed & capacity at scale
When order volumes surge, you need a network that scales without slowing down — and GOFO Italy is built for exactly that. With a 6,500 m² automated sorting center in Milan and 2 + 11 sorting & delivery centers (including those under construction) across the country, GOFO’s last-mile network processes 30,000 parcels daily, covering over 300 ZIP codes and reaching 97% of the Milan, Rome, and Turin areas. This extensive coverage enables retailers to expand confidently during the busiest weeks of the year, maintaining fast 2-day average delivery times and reliable performance even under peak pressure.
Reliability and service excellence during peak season
During the peak season, GOFO Italy maintains 95% on-time delivery within 72 hours and a 99.5% successful delivery rate. Retailers and customers benefit from real-time tracking, proactive status notifications, and 7-day email support, keeping every shipment visible and on track. With its strong local presence and multiple delivery attempts, GOFO ensures higher first-attempt success and strong customer satisfaction — even when delivery networks are at their busiest.
Tech-driven platform for smarter operations
At the heart of GOFO’s performance lies its self-developed logistics system, designed to enhance visibility, accuracy, and efficiency across every delivery stage. The platform provides full-scenario coverage — from order management and route planning to service quality monitoring — all supported by end-to-end real-time tracking and an early-warning system for proactive issue resolution.
With customizable API integrations, centralized dashboards, and 24/7 technical support, GOFO empowers retailers in Italy to deliver with confidence — and win every peak season and beyond.
