Selling food online in Italy can be an attractive business opportunity, especially as customers increasingly rely on digital solutions and value the convenience of shopping from home. Launching an online food store requires thoughtful planning and a thorough familiarity with the applicable legal framework. In this article, we explain food ecommerce, including the main business models, legal requirements, and processes to start selling food products online.

What’s in this article?

• What is an online food store?
  
• Different types of online food stores
  
• Regulatory requirements for selling food online
  
• How to start selling food products online
  

What is an online food store?

An online food store is a platform dedicated to selling fresh or packaged food products. Customers buy products directly from the site and have them delivered to their homes. Food ecommerce includes stores that specialize in traditional, organic, or gourmet items, as well as online supermarkets that offer a broad selection of products. In recent years, this sector has experienced robust growth. This is due, in part, to changing customer habits, as higher numbers of Italian customers shop online to save time and access a broader range of products.

Advantages of selling food online

Food ecommerce boasts several advantages over brick-and-mortar food stores:

• Larger customer base: Selling food online allows you to reach a much larger customer base, far beyond the area around a physical store. Ecommerce food businesses allow small producers and local stores to sell products across the country and internationally, thus offering revenue growth opportunities.

• More diverse products: Online food stores can offer a broad selection of products, including items that aren’t typically found in local stores.

• Ongoing sales: You can keep your business running without much interruption.

• Enhanced data gathering: From an operational perspective, an ecommerce business allows you to refine your marketing strategies and build customer loyalty because of the data gathered about your customers’ buying habits.

• Lower setup costs: Launching an online store typically requires a smaller initial investment than opening a physical store.

Different types of online food stores

In Italy, different types of food ecommerce models meet various customer needs. The main ones include:

• Online supermarkets
  These platforms offer a wide range of fresh, packaged, and frozen food items. They also allow customers to do weekly grocery shopping from home, with options for home delivery or in-store pickup.

• Traditional Italian or regional specialty foods
  These websites cater to the domestic and international markets and highlight the quality of “Made in Italy” products. The offering typically includes cured meats, cheeses, artisanal pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, and wines, among other regional specialties.

• Foreign foods
  These websites offer typical food products from abroad, including from Asian and African countries.

• Organic, natural, and health foods
  These websites cater to health-conscious customers or those with specific dietary requirements. They might offer gluten-free or vegan food products, for example.

• Farm-to-table foods
  This model allows producers to sell directly to customers. Customers gain access to high-quality farm products, while the producers benefit from lowered costs and a shorter supply chain.

• Meal kits or food boxes
  These websites provide preportioned ingredients customers use to cook meals at home.

• Restaurants
  These platforms allow customers to order their favorite dishes from restaurants or fast food establishments for home delivery or pickup.

Regulatory requirements for selling food online

To sell food online legally in Italy, you must secure the necessary authorizations and comply with specific regulations, including:

• EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 on food information to customers

• Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 on food safety

• Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of food products

• Legislative Decree No. 59/2010 on professional requirements

EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 on food information to customers

EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 specifies what food-related information must be communicated to customers and prescribes labeling requirements. These provisions also apply to online sales. The mandatory information includes:

• Name of the food

• List of ingredients and allergens

• Quantities of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients

• Net quantity of food sold

• Date of minimum durability or the use-by date

• Any special storage conditions or conditions of use

• Name or business name and address of the food business operator

• Country of origin or place of provenance (for specific foods)

• Instructions for use, if applicable

• Alcoholic strength by volume (for beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol)

• Nutrition declaration

Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 on food safety

Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002—also known as the General Food Law—is one of the core EU laws governing food safety. It sets out the legal framework for the EU’s food-related legislation and establishes the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Here are its key points:

• Priority of food safety
  Food cannot be sold unless it is safe for consumption.

• Traceability principle
  Businesses that sell food online must be able to identify the source of all food, animal feed, food-producing animals, and any other substance likely to become part of food or feed. They must also keep track of product recipients.

• Responsibility of operators
  Online and in-store food business operators—whether they produce, process, or sell food—are responsible for ensuring the products are safe.

• Emergency management procedures
  The regulation establishes the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to report any direct or indirect risk to human health from food or feed.

• Establishment of the EFSA
  This EU agency is in charge of providing independent scientific advice on risks related to the food chain. It helps guide the EU’s decisions on food safety, animal health, plant health, and nutrition.

Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of food products

The main objective of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 is to protect public health by outlining hygiene requirements that apply across the entire food chain. Here are its key provisions:

• General hygiene requirements
  The regulation prescribes standards for personal hygiene, pest control, waste management, drinking water supply, and equipment maintenance. It also regulates the cleanliness of premises, including for homemade foods and the storage and preservation of foods for businesses that don’t have a physical store.

• The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system
  The HACCP is a systematic preventive approach designed to ensure food safety across the entire production chain. Its objective is to identify, assess, and manage risks that could threaten food safety, specifically in terms of biological, chemical, or physical contamination. It includes identifying Critical Control Points (CCP), setting and monitoring limits, applying corrective actions when the limits are exceeded, verifying that the HACCP system is effective, and keeping records of procedures, checks, and actions to ensure traceability and transparency.

• Registration of establishments
  Food business operators are required to register with the appropriate authority. In certain cases, authorizations are required.

• Staff training
  Food business operators must ensure their employees are trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity.

Legislative Decree No. 59/2010 on professional requirements

Legislative Decree No. 59/2010 implements EU Directive 2006/123/EC in Italy on services in the domestic market. Article 71 outlines the professional requirements that apply to those who sell food online or in physical stores—specifically, the business owner or manager must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Completion of a food and beverage course
  Food and Beverage Administration (Somministrazione di Alimenti e Bevande, or SAB) courses—previously known as Registro Esercenti il Commercio (REC) courses—are training programs related to the supply and sale of food and beverages, accredited by the relevant Region or Chamber of Commerce.

• A relevant diploma
  The course of study must be related to the commerce, preparation, or sale of food. A diploma from a hospitality or agricultural school is suitable, as is a degree in food science, biology, or a similar field.

• At least two years of qualified work experience
  The person must have worked in the food or catering sector—as an owner, family helper, employee, or collaborator—for at least two years. The two years don’t need to be consecutive, but they must have occurred within the past five years.

What license is required to sell food in Italy?

There is no specific license for selling food online or in a physical store in Italy. However, you should make sure you meet all legal requirements and obtain all relevant authorizations listed in the previous section. You should also contact both the Local Health Authority (ASL) and the One-Stop Business Advisory Center (SUAP) of the municipality where you plan to start your online food store to confirm that you comply with all local requirements.

What do you need to sell packaged food?

If you wish to keep costs and complexity at a minimum initially, you might want to concentrate on selling packaged food. This represents the easiest and most manageable option to sell food online in Italy. You will still need to comply with the regulations listed above, but the requirements are generally less stringent than for fresh products:

• Fewer health and hygiene restrictions
  Packaged products are preprocessed, sealed, and usually have a long shelf life. This lowers the standards related to refrigeration, perishability, and microbiological risks. Cold storage and refrigerated delivery vehicles aren’t required, except in some specific cases.

• Simplified logistics
  Packaged products can be delivered through standard shipping services and don’t require refrigerated warehouses. Compared to fresh products, delivery times are less important.

• Fewer regulations
  A Certified Notice of Business Start (SCIA) and health notifications are needed, but the stringent controls required for directly handling fresh food generally don’t apply.

• Greater flexibility
  It’s easier to manage large volumes of packaged products and to reach a larger domestic or international customer base.

How to start selling food products online

To start selling food online in Italy, you must meet the regulatory requirements listed above and complete the following administrative, technical, and marketing steps:

Choose a business type and obtain a value-added tax (VAT) number

The first step is to select a legal structure (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability corporation, etc.) and obtain a VAT number under the relevant Classification of Economic Activity (ATECO) code. For example, the ATECO code for ecommerce is 47.91.10: “Retail trade of all types of products via the Internet.” You cannot sell food online in Italy without a VAT number. Next, you’ll need to submit the SCIA and register your business with the Italian Business Register (Registro delle Imprese).

Choose a payment service provider

Selecting the right payment service provider is key—it can ensure you manage payments efficiently and quickly and that you support the most suitable payment methods for your business. Solutions such as Stripe Payments, with its Optimized Checkout Suite, allow you to accept payments globally, both online and in person, to boost conversion rates, and to ensure compliance, saving you thousands of hours of technical work.

If you run a marketplace or platform, tools such as Stripe Connect can help you integrate payments directly into your marketplace. Connect provides fast user onboarding and identity verification, ensures compliance with global regulations, and allows you to accept and send payments to customers. You can start operations within weeks rather than months, making it easier to scale your business.

Identify a niche market

To succeed in a competitive market such as food, it’s important to focus on a specialty, such as organic, vegan, gluten-free, or regional products. You need to stand out from the competition, build a strong identity, and target a customer base with specific needs. A clearly defined niche also makes communication, brand positioning, and marketing strategies more effective.

Draft a business plan

A business plan is the first step to turn your idea into a viable project. In your business plan, you will need to outline the products you intend to sell, analyze the market and competition, and set forth an operational plan (i.e., logistics, suppliers, ecommerce platform), a financial plan, a marketing strategy, and an analysis of anticipated costs and profits. You should also establish clear, measurable goals to track your business performance and make adjustments as needed.

Create a brand

Establish an identity through a brand with a name and logo that represent your business and its values. Your communications should align with your brand identity.

Choose a platform

If you want to sell online, choosing a platform is one of the key decisions you’ll face. Do you want to rely on an existing marketplace or create your own ecommerce site? Both options have pros and cons. Here’s a comparison of the features for each option to help you decide which one suits your business best:

Define costs

Define the costs, shipping methods and fees, return policies, and payment methods for your online food store.

Create a communication plan

You should develop an effective communication plan. Start by defining your brand identity, select the most effective channels (e.g., social media, email, blogs, paid ads, etc.), and develop content that promotes your products. These could include stories, recipes, or information about the products’ benefits and provenance. Create an editorial calendar, define a look and feel, and track performance. The consistency and quality of the messaging are the key to attracting and retaining customers.