Internet commerce grows in Turkey

The volume of electronic commerce (e-commerce) in Turkey has grown 39 per cent in 2019, according to a report published by Turkey’s Informatics Industry Association (TÜBİSAD) yesterday.

In the report, the association stressed the upward trend of the sector despite global trade wars and uncertainties in global political conjuncture.

Recommendations that citizens avoid crowded areas amid the coronavirus outbreak has brought along a change in consumer behaviour, with many citizens turning to digital options like physical shopping environments, the report said.

According to the report, the e-commerce market hit 83.1 billion Turkish lira ($14.6 billion) in 2019.

READ: Turkey stands with Britain to beat Covid-19

In addition to that, at a time when the lockdown is forcing people to stay indoors to stem the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, courier services in Turkey have also become a lifeline for maintaining the demand-supply chain.

In the coronavirus era, e-commerce continues as a key channel for business. Online grocery shopping and tele-medicine, for instance, are helping to reduce the risk of new infections.

A study by Mastercard Turkey on the effect COVID-19 has had on transactions shows that online shopping increased by 15 per cent during the outbreak.

According to @MastercardTurkey's research about Turkish Market during precautions period due to COVİD19, 63 percent of consumers have preferred contactless payment. Contactless payment has doubled in two months. #COVID19outbreak #Contactless #research pic.twitter.com/y2HynUUkp6

— Verisoft (@verisoft) April 20, 2020

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