“CIS B2C E-Commerce Markets 2019” is the title of the new publication released by Germany-based secondary market research specialist yStats.com. According to the report’s findings, the online retail markets in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine have an untapped growth potential stimulated by increasing online shopper penetration rates.
CIS B2C E-Commerce sales on the rise
B2C E-Commerce potential across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) remains largely untapped, as only a single-digit share of overall retail sales in these countries is online, compared to rates of above 10% in countries such as the UK, the USA and China. As a result, there is significant room for future growth, the yStats.com report reveals. In 2018, B2C E-Commerce sales grew at a double-digit rate in Russia and Ukraine, and nearly doubled in Kazakhstan. Smaller markets in Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia are also on the rise, driven by increases in online shopper penetration.
Top 3 E-Commerce trends in CIS
The top trends across the six countries covered in the yStats.com report include the rise of mobile shopping apps, social commerce and cross-border online shopping. Smartphones were the primary mode of accessing the Internet in Russia, while in Belarus mobile shopping apps were used by a higher share of digital buyers than mobile websites. The growth of social commerce is exemplified by Ukraine, where close to one-half of online shoppers placed orders via social networking platforms. Furthermore, digital consumers in CIS markets increasingly shop on foreign platforms, such as AliExpress, according to surveys cited by yStats.com.
Online retail market prospects in CIS
As consumers are getting more comfortable with making purchases online, B2C E-Commerce sales across CIS are projected to remain on the growth path. Clothing and consumer electronics are the top two product categories benefitting from the online retail growth in these countries. Other categories with a high growth potential include groceries and online food delivery services.
