Turkish B2C ecommerce is expected to double by 2019 – report
Turkish B2C ecommerce is expected to more than double the 2014 sales value, a recent research study reveals.
Turkey is one of the largest and fastest growing B2C ecommerce markets in Eastern Europe. It ranks in the top 30 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 a recent report issued by the market reseach company yStats.
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 ecommerce 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 in 2014, with the known international websites such as Alibaba.com and Amazon.com gaining in popularity.
The largest domestic B2C ecommerce player in Turkey is online mass merchant Hepsiburada.com. In 2015, 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 ecommerce model in Turkey, with 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.
