Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
E-commerce in Turkey - statistics & facts
The rapidly changing demands and needs have led the e-commerce ecosystem to expand day by day in Turkey, especially with the unique conditions brought by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In fact, the proportion of people selling and buying goods and services online continued to increase even after the pandemic. Nearly 65 percent of the Turkish population purchased a product or service online in 2023. Accordingly, e-commerce transactions in the country have increased continuously, up by 16.5 percent in the last quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter in the previous year.
Leading e-commerce segments
The dynamic between different segments in the e-commerce ecosystem has changed recently, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline industry had the most significant decline in revenue in 2020. However, with the post-pandemic boom in the hospitality and airlines sectors, their e-commerce volume more than doubled in 2023. Household appliances became the sector generating the highest revenue in Turkey in the past years.Shopping behavior of Turkish consumers
A strong online shopping culture has emerged in Turkey. With the convenience of digital devices eliminating the need to go to the store and the ability to instantly compare prices and reach the most suitable options for the budget, e-commerce has become an essential component of the consumer's life. Therefore, the ability to reach more product variety and the ease of shopping experience through online stores became the main online shopping motivation in the country. Clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories were the most popular online shopping categories among Turkish consumers, followed by books, movies, music, and games.Future developments
The Turkish e-commerce market, which has recently grown rapidly due to the increasing consumption and changing demands, is expected to keep expanding. Constant growth is projected both in terms for the market revenue and the number of e-commerce users in the near future. Additionally, based on the estimated compound annual growth rate in retail e-commerce market, the country is expected to grow at the highest rate globally between 2025 and 2029.
