A new publication from Hamburg-based business intelligence company yStats.com “Turkey B2C E-Commerce Market 2015“ reports that Turkey is one of the most promising B2C E-Commerce markets in Eastern Europe. Yücel Yelken, CEO of yStats.com points out that “The growing Internet and mobile penetration, along with a developed logistics and payment infrastructure are stimulating growth of online retail in Turkey”. According to yStats.com’s forecast, by 2019 B2C E-Commerce in Turkey is expected to more than double the 2014 sales value.
Turkey is one of the largest and fastest growing B2C E-Commerce markets in Eastern Europe. It ranks in the top thirty countries worldwide by logistics development. Payment infrastructure is relatively advanced here, with the dominant online payment method being credit card, while in many other emerging markets it is still cash on delivery. According to yStats.com’s own forecast, by 2019 B2C E-Commerce in Turkey is expected to more than double the 2014 sales value.
In terms of Internet and online shopper penetration, Turkey ranks on the median level among other emerging markets worldwide, but by mobile shopper penetration it tops even some advanced markets and ranks among the leaders. Compared to EU and OECD countries, Turkey is still behind in terms of share of individuals having Internet access and the percentage of Internet users shopping online, indicating plenty of room for growth.
Among the most important trends on the B2C E-Commerce market in Turkey are M-Commerce and cross-border online shopping. With mobile internet accounting for three quarters of all Internet subscriptions, some online merchants report a two-digit percentage share of revenues coming from M-Commerce. Close to one third of online shoppers in Turkey made a purchase from both local and foreign websites last year, with the known international websites such as Alibaba.com and Amazon.com gaining in popularity.
The largest domestic B2C E-Commerce player in Turkey is online mass merchant Hepsiburada.com. This year the company raised a multi-million dollar investment which it plans to spend on expanding logistics capabilities and launching a marketplace for third-party sellers. The marketplace is a popular E-Commerce model in Turkey, with prominent players such as GittiGidiyor.com owned by eBay and n11.com, launched by Turkish Dogus Group and South Korean SK Group. Fashion online stores are among the top players, as clothing is the most purchased product category. These include private shopping club Markafoni.com, fully acquired by South African Naspers in 2014, as well as private shopping clubs Trendyol.com, Morhipo.com and online fashion retailer Limango.com.tr, part of the German Otto Group.
