Turkey’s E-Commerce Statistics for the First 6 Months of 2022

E-commerce (electronic commerce) is a type of commerce in which services and products are brought together with consumers through online channels. With the second half of the nineties, when the use of the Internet began to become widespread, e-commerce also developed rapidly and became widespread around the world. 

The distinguishing point of e-commerce activities is that all processes such as sales, payment, distribution, advertising and communication between the producer and the consumer are completed digitally, and therefore much wider and faster commercial transactions can be made compared to traditional commerce methods.

Turkey is one of the countries that attracts attention worldwide with its growing e-commerce volume. The electronic commerce statistics obtained in Turkey as of 2022 show how high this potential is in the country and how rapidly electronic commerce activities are spreading in the market. Let’s take a brief look at Turkey’s current e-commerce statistics.

E-Commerce Data for the First 6 Months of 2022

According to the data obtained through the Electronic Trade Information System (ETBIS), Turkey’s statistics for the first 6 months of 2022 can be summarized as follows:

• As of the first 6 months of 2022, e-commerce volume in Turkey increased by 116% compared to the same period of the previous year and reached 348 billion TL. Obtaining an increase rate of 116% compared to the same period of the previous year is an important data for understanding the increase potential of e-commerce volume in Turkey.
• In the first 6 months of 2022, order volumes increased by 38 percent from 1 billion 654 million units to 2 billion 294 million units.
• In the first 6 months of 2022, the retail e-commerce volume was realized as TL 233 billion.

Looking at the general view, the growth in Turkey’s electronic commerce volume is clearly seen. However, by focusing on some other data and customizing the statistics on the details, it may be possible to gain a deeper look.

What is the Ratio of Electronic Commerce to General Commerce in 2022?

Comparing the e-commerce volume in a country with the general trade volume is one of the best sources to understand the growth rate, speed and potential of the electronic commerce volume in that country. Therefore, it would be a good point to compare the ratio of e-commerce to general trade in Turkey for 2021 and 2022:

• In the first 6 months of 2021, the ratio of e-commerce to general trade is 17.6%.
• This rate increased by 5% in 2022 compared to the same period of the previous year and became 18.5%.

E-Commerce Expenditures Per Capita by Province

E-commerce expenditures, as well as general trade expenditures, may vary according to the industrialization, development rates, digitalization and many other factors in the provinces. When the electronic commerce expenditures realized in the first 6 months of 2022 in Turkey are compared to the population between the ages of 18-70, the per capita e-commerce expenditure has been determined as 4.964 TL. However, the amounts of e-commerce expenditures differ according to the provinces. For some examples, data for the first 6 months of 2022 are as follows:

• E-commerce expenditure per capita in Istanbul: 9.857 TL
• E-commerce expenditure per capita in Ankara: 6.064 TL
• E-commerce expenditure per capita in Izmir: 5.230 TL 

The Volume of Electronic Commerce on the Basis of Pay Methods

The average basket amount in e-commerce was 152 Turkish Liras as of the first 6 months of 2022. This amount differs according to the payment methods. According to the policies supported by e-commerce platforms and the cooperation of these platforms, users can choose from many payment instruments. According to the data for the first 6 months of 2022, the rates of using these payment methods by the users involved in electronic commerce processes in Turkey are as follows:

• On the basis of payment methods, 32% of the total e-commerce volume is composed of 113 billion TL and other payments by Wire Transfer/EFT.
• This is followed by payment at the door with a rate of 2% and TL 7.7 billion.
• On the basis of payment methods, 66% of the e-commerce volume consists of card transactions with a value of 228 billion TL.

Data on E-Commerce Businesses

Electronic commerce businesses, which are engaged in electronic commerce in addition to general trade processes or exist only by using e-commerce methods, are the main veins of e-commerce activity in Turkey. By looking at the statistics of these businesses, it is possible to get an idea about different issues such as the amount, development and method of electronic commerce activities in the country.

When the distribution of e-commerce businesses by provinces is examined, it is seen that the province with the highest number of enterprises carrying out electronic commerce activities is Istanbul. The rate of electronic commerce enterprises is 39% in Istanbul. This is followed by Ankara (8%), İzmir (7%), Bursa (4%), Antalya (3%) and Kocaeli (2%).

There are 488,706 businesses in Turkey that are both registered to ETBIS and engaged in electronic commerce activities in the marketplaces. The current data on these businesses as of the first 6 months of 2022 are as follows:

• 29,287 of these enterprises are registered to ETBIS (E-Commerce Information System).
• 472,840 businesses operate in electronic commerce marketplaces.
• The number of sites registered to ETBIS is 34,931 as of the first 6 months of 2022.
• While 13,421 businesses are engaged in electronic commerce on their own site, they also sell in e-commerce marketplaces.

On the other hand, the data on how many marketplaces these businesses prefer to carry out their e-commerce activities reveal a striking difference. 83% of businesses prefer to sell in only one marketplace. The ratio of businesses selling in two market places is 8% as of the first 6 months of 2022. 3% of businesses sell in three marketplaces. The remaining 5% of businesses prefer to sell in 4 or more market places.

 

Domestic – International Distribution of E-Commerce Expenditures in Turkey

While doing e-commerce in Turkey, it is possible to buy and sell both domestically and abroad. Taking a look at the domestic and international rates of these trades will be important in terms of analyzing how the electronic commerce volume is developing in Turkey:

• In the first 6 months of 2022; The share of domestic electronic commerce expenditures was 308 billion TL with a rate of 88%.
• The expenditures of other countries from electronic commerce sites in Turkey are 15.8 billion TL with a rate of 5%.
• Purchases made by Turkish citizens from abroad amounted to 24.7 billion TL with a rate of 7%.

In the light of these data, it is possible to think that electronic commerce activities in Turkey are largely based on domestic purchases and sales.

Change in E-Commerce Volume by Sectors Compared to the Same Period of the Previous Year

Examining the sectoral changes in the e-commerce volume is critical in terms of predicting the future course of the electronic commerce volume in Turkey and making comparisons with the situation of the previous year. Looking at these changes on the basis of sectors, it is possible to say that the most striking change occurred in the travel and tourism categories in general. According to the data for the first 6 months of 2022, the significant increases compared to the same period of the previous year can be listed as follows:

• Airlines; 408% increase (30.4 billion TL)
• Accomodation; 344% increase (5.6 billion TL)
• Travel, transportation and storage industry; 236% increase (12.6 billion TL)
• Electronic; 176% increase (20.3 billion TL)
• Clothing, shoes and accessories; 126% increase (24.6 billion TL)
• Food and supermarket; 124% increase (13.8 billion TL)
• Meals; 99% increase (12.2 billion TL)
• White goods and small household appliances; 95% increase (43.7 billion TL)

Sector-Based Installment/Advance Transaction Ratio

86% of electronic commerce expenditures were made by making cash payments and 14% by using the installment payment option. Sectorally, 73% of home and decoration, 31% of white goods, 27% of electronics, 28% of clothing, 11% of travel, 12% of accommodation, 11% of airlines, 7% of books and magazines preferred installment transactions.

User Statistics for E-Commerce Expenditures

When it comes to e-commerce, it is very important to analyze the profiles of users, that is, consumers, who spend as much as electronic commerce businesses and distributors. Let’s take a look at some statistics on users who spend e-commerce.

Distribution of Electronic Commerce Expenditures by Gender

Gender is one of the statistics that is important for a healthy evaluation of e-commerce activities and growing electronic commerce volume in Turkey. In this context, according to data for the first 6 months of 2022, 52% of those who shop through e-commerce service providers are women, and the ratio of the men is 48%.

Distribution of E-Commerce Expenditures by Platform

When we look at which platform the shoppers prefer through electronic commerce intermediary service providers, according to data for the first 6 months of 2022, 70% of our citizens prefer to use mobile applications when shopping from e-commerce intermediary service providers. This ratio clearly shows how important mobile devices and applications are for current e-commerce activities.

Distribution of Electronic Commerce Shopping by Provinces

39% of the purchases made through electronic commerce are made by users living in Istanbul. The proportion of users living in Ankara is 9%, and the proportion of citizens living in Izmir is 6%. These provinces are followed by Bursa and Antalya with a rate of 3.5%, Kocaeli with a rate of 2.5%, Adana, Konya, Mersin and Gaziantep provinces with a rate of about 2%.

 

Information on Electronic Commerce Shipments

In the first 6 months of 2022, the rate of e-commerce shipments among all shipments is 59.5%. A total of 63% of these posts were from the provinces of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The amounts of the posts and the average basket amounts differ according to the sectors. For example, the average basket amount in the first 6 months of 2022 was 5,358 TL in the accommodation sector, 2,645 TL in the airlines, 373 TL in the clothing, shoes and accessories sector, and 257 TL in the electronics.

Distribution of E-Commerce Transactions by Days

When the e-commerce activities in Turkey are analyzed according to the days of the week in the first 6 months of 2022, it is seen that there are various increases and decreases between the days and the movements follow a fluctuating course. Therefore, it is not possible to talk about continuous and clear data in terms of days.