Italian Market Analysis: Insights to Prepare You for Next Season

Brief Summary 

The luxury Italian fashion market is experiencing a buoyant return to growth. 

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JOOR transaction data this year reveals these key findings: 

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• Italian brands are proving popular: +33% increase in the volume of units sold on JOOR in 2025 YTD
  
• Italian retailers are increasing spend: GMV +11% in 2025 YTD
  
• Specialty stores reign supreme: 87% of GMV attributed to independent retailers
  
• Domestic business is big: Italian retailers make up 32% of total sales for Italian brands, and the market is growing +24% to last year

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Overview of the Italian Luxury Fashion Market

In the first five months of 2025, wholesale sales for Italian brands grew by 20% compared to last year. Meanwhile, the gross merchandise value (GMV) of fashion goods purchased by Italian retailers during this same time frame increased by 11% compared to last year. But what’s driving this positive rebound? And how can international brands and retailers tap into this rising market?

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As the fashion industry’s leading wholesale management ecosystem, with data from more than 14,000 brands and 670,000 curated fashion buyers across 150 countries, we’ve performed an in-depth analysis of transactions for Italian brands and retailers on the platform and collated our insights into this guide to help you shape your strategy for this important fashion market.

Italian Brands are Bouncing Back

This year, Italian brands have recorded a +33% increase in units sold on JOOR and a +20% increase in sales volume compared to the same time period last year. This resurgence follows a period of decline for Italian fashion in 2023 and 2024, as it seems the market is finding stability once more. If this growth rate continues, Italian brands will have recovered significant ground this year and end 2025 with wholesale sales just 10% below their peak in 2022.

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Global demand for Italian brands remains strong. In 2025 YTD, Italian brands have sold product to 122 different countries, and the top five markets—Italy, the US, Germany, France, and the UK—all returned to growth this year. The driving force was EMEA, recording a significant increase of +23% to last year, followed by North America at +12%.

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APAC, on the other hand, continues to decline, with wholesale sales -13% in 2025. This pullback is being driven most notably by China, which has experienced a dramatic decline of -41% this year, building on top of a decrease of -35% in 2024. This is most likely a result of the luxury slowdown, with local consumers reassessing their spending priorities or possibly increasing their tourist spending abroad versus purchasing domestically.

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Interestingly, the average price point purchased from Italian brands by global retailers has decreased by 6% this year, illustrating an adjustment in buyers’ assortment mix as a result of continued retail challenges. With consumer demand shifting, retail buyers are looking carefully at their assortments to ensure their store offers appropriate products to match consumer interest. 

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The Key Takeaway for Retailers

Consider adding Italian brands to your assortment in light of growing demand and appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. Build your assortment thoughtfully to incorporate a range of price points that appeal to your consumer, and remember that designs emphasizing artisanal skill or techniques may be more sought-after.

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The Key Takeaway for Brands 

As global demand for Italian brands grows, brands based in Italy can capitalize on this increased interest by reaching out to new retailers using our Find New Retailers feature. 

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Italian Retailers are Spending More

Sales from Italian-based retailers grew from 2020 to 2021, then had three years of declines, but returned to growth in 2025 with GMV +11% YTD, suggesting a positive shift in the local economy and a renewed trust in Italian retailers' impeccable eye for design.

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There are nearly 11,000 Italian retailers who placed orders on JOOR in 2024, including: La Rinascente, Al Duca D’Aosta, and Julian Fashion. This wide base of stores and growing volume of purchases reinforces our belief in the vitality and positive momentum of the Italian market.

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To further facilitate this growth, we launched Explore Italy: Top Italian Fashion Retailers, a JOOR Passport Retailer show celebrating the country's most renowned stores. JOOR members can log in to browse this curated showcase of highly regarded retailers and find information on the brands and product categories they sell, as well as relevant contact information so brands can reach out to prospect.

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The Key Takeaway for Retailers

Italian retailers with increased spend can leverage net terms offered through JOOR Pay to buy inventory and pay for it up to 90 days later, helping with financial planning and stability.

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The Key Takeaway for Brands 

Browse our Explore Italy: Top Italian Fashion Retailers show to discover potential new stockist opportunities, and use our messaging feature to instantly reach out. Be sure to highlight your brand’s unique selling point and why you think you’d be a good fit for the store's customer demographic.

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Specialty Stores Keep Soaring

Italy’s retail landscape continues to be heavily driven by specialty stores, with 87% of GMV being attributed to independent retailers versus large enterprise department stores. This trend has been consistent over the past five years. While we have seen independent retailers gaining market share globally in recent years, the proportion of total GMV attributed to specialty stores is even higher in Italy than on the platform overall.

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Independent retailers continue to prove popular as they seem to have a fail-safe formula for success. By offering exceptional customer service and honing in on a particular niche, e.g. footwear or sustainable fashion, they can establish themselves as an authority in that area and shoppers respect their selections.

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These retailers spend time building close, personal relationships with their customers and curate specialized, intentional assortments that naturally have a higher chance of customer conversion.

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Italy is world-renowned for its fashion, so it comes as no surprise that it’s home to some of the world’s top specialty stores, including 10 Corso Como, Luisa via Roma, and Gaudenzi, which features in The JOOR 100—our annual celebration of the top 100 global retailers.

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The Key Takeaway for Retailers

Independent Italian retailers looking for unique products to add to their assortment can use JOOR Discover to connect with relevant brands and filter by price, category or demographic to find product that matches your customers' needs.

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The Key Takeaway for Brands 

Use your JOOR profile to tell your brand story, highlight your aesthetic and showcase what makes your brand unique so that you can stand out from competitors. This makes prospecting Italian specialty stores more successful as they can see if you align with their niche.

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Italian Retailers Primarily Buy From European Brands

Analysis of JOOR transaction data reveals that Italian retailers purchased product from brands in 32 different countries so far this year, with EMEA-based brands accounting for 81% of purchases. This is a notable number, as this region makes up only 47% of retailer orders on JOOR overall.

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Italian retailers favor Italian, French & US brands (78% of total purchases), with Italian brands representing the largest volume of orders at 39% of total purchases. It seems Italian consumers are increasingly interested in buying domestic fashion—they have a deep understanding not only of their national craftsmanship but also an appreciation for Italian design and both the cultural significance and economic importance of supporting Italian fashion.

The Key Takeaway for Retailers

Shoppers are becoming increasingly interested in supporting local fashion and design talent. Consider if there are any brands from your region that consumers may want to see in your assortment.

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The Key Takeaway for Brands

If you are a European brand, have you considered expanding into the Italian market? Now could be the perfect time to prospect to relevant retailers in the region as their investments are weighted heavily towards European resources.

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How JOOR Can Help You Succeed in the Italian Market 

Book a demo to see how JOOR can help you tap into the Italian market or grow your business if you are an Italy-based business.

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