Presented on 27 April 2020, the 98th Italian Product Day represented an initiative to provide visibility for Italian companies and promote the strength and excellence of Italian design, quality products and brands to the world. The concept centred on a national platform (beniculturalionline.it) and international site (culturalheritageonline.com), which together attracted over one million monthly interactions from social media and maintained more than 278,000 followers across social profiles.
The ABCO Credit System
The initiative introduced a barter-based economy linked to ABCO credits, a metric system to assign value to products and services without the use of euros. Product insertion and listing were offered entirely free of charge. Companies could present items with descriptive text, website image links and an ABCO credit price for purchase. The system aimed to address inventory challenges and unlock sales potential across sectors including furniture, lighting, transport, tourism, food, accessories and cultural goods. Participating companies bore only shipping costs for items they offered.
Advantages and Economic Model
The platform enabled companies to promote new products with national and international visibility, clear warehouse stock, and sell items their regular market could not absorb—such as restaurant tables unused during off-peak hours. Businesses could collaborate directly without spending euros: a printing company needing paper could trade with a paper mill requiring truck tyres from a tyre supplier needing product catalogues printed. Unlike similar schemes such as Sardex, the ABCO system required no subscription fees or spending obligations.
Registration and Participation
The ABCOnlus organisation endorsed Italian Product Day, recognising global demand for items that had become design icons or represented Italian quality and tradition. Companies interested in participating were required to submit expressions of interest by 20 April 2020 to press@bbcc.it, specifying company name, product type, brand and preferred delivery cities. Applications were evaluated by a working group and scientific committee.
Frequently asked questions
What was the ABCO credit system?
ABCO credits served as a metric reference to identify and quantify the value of products or services exchanged through the platform, functioning as an alternative to euros within an indirect barter framework.
Were there costs to list products?
Product insertion and announcement publication were entirely free; companies paid only for shipping costs associated with delivering items they offered for trade.
How many followers did the platforms have?
The beniculturalionline system maintained over 278,000 fans across social pages, groups and profiles, with more than one million monthly interactions from major social media platforms.
