The collaboration agreement between Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza (General Federation of Italian Commerce and Tourism for the provinces of Milan, Lodi, Monza and Brianza), and Nexi for the digitalization of local and neighborhood stores has been signed. Thanks to the tools made available by Nexi, the European PayTech, and BigCommerce - a NASDAQ-listed B2B and B2C e-commerce platform offering services to businesses of all sizes and at all stages of growth - Confcommercio MiLoMb members will have the opportunity to expand their activities using innovative e-commerce storefronts and discounted digital payment fees. This also offers an opportunity for smaller businesses who are looking to enter the e-commerce world for the first time. 

This agreement is part of a broader project that sees Nexi working alongside Confcommercio Milano Lodi Monza e Brianza to promote the appeal of the city and district with initiatives and events throughout the year such as Milano Restaurant Week and the Christmas street lights. 

"The digital push of the last two years has involved all areas of our daily lives. Companies, especially those in the service sector, have understood the potential of digitalization to innovate their business - explained Marco Barbieri, Secretary General of Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza. According to data provided by Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics), online sales account for 16% of the total turnover of retail businesses, with a 5.5% increase in 2021 compared to 2019. Today e-commerce and digital payments – continued Barbieri - are tools that must be integrated with standard activities of physical stores in order to boost their business while promoting the appeal of the area, also in a global smart city perspective". 

"The agreement with Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza is a major step towards the growing digitalization of Italian businesses, a target consistent with our mission to support entrepreneurs in equipping themselves with advanced tools that ensure a service tailored to their needs - commented Dirk Pinamonti, Head of e-Commerce at Nexi. Indeed now, more than ever, even small and medium-sized businesses need to have an effective online sales presence to allow them to tap into new customers, selling throughout Italy and even abroad. Before implementing a sophisticated omni-channel strategy, it is of fundamental importance to open a direct channel with customers through one’s own digital identity capable of exploiting the trend of e-Commerce that, according to Politecnico di Milano University data, in 2021 grew by 21% reaching €39.4 billion in the B2C sector, thanks to the online purchases of 46.1 million Italian consumers". 

The agreement with Nexi is already in force and includes a series of exclusive conditions and benefits for members of Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza - including 3 months’ free use of the BigCommerce platform, free XPay monthly fees (instead of €24.90/month) and reduced commissions on transactions - as well as free support from Nexi and assistance from SPIN - Innovation Help Desk of Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza.