Luxury retailers were slow to fully embrace e-commerce, but with the global online luxury market predicted to be worth $41.8 billion by 2019, and 14% of Gen Yers buying their first luxury piece online, brands are discovering the importance of a strong digital presence. Knowing that the web can’t quite compete with a glass of champers and a private view, online platforms are imitating the personal attention and care usually only lavished on customers in stores.

Over the past decade, a growing number of people have traded trolleys for home delivery. But while the online retail experience continues to evolve, less is happening in-store. Coop Italia is hoping to change this with a flagship store that it’s touting as ‘the supermarket of the future’.

A study shows Italian consumers want digital shopping services to recreate the quality of service, information and assurance they get in physical stores. As they value face-to-face interactions with local shopkeepers, they expect online retailers to compensate by maximising other features.

More than half of Italians prefer neighbourhood stores over larger chain supermarkets. With grocery e-commerce still struggling to achieve widespread adoption, they seem to be more attached to the quality of face-to-face customer service in independent supermarkets, in their local area.