The ongoing UEFA Euro 2024, a major football extravaganza, in which Türkiye is competing as well, has not only boosted the fans' enthusiasm but has also driven significant economic activity in the domestic e-commerce sector, according to an association representative.
The increasing demand has been particularly observed in products such as large-screen televisions and football-related products such as balls and jerseys, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Sunday.
Türkiye's Crescent Stars opened the championship with a stunning win against Georgia in Group F, led by youngster Arda Güler, but missed an opportunity for a direct pass to reach the last 16 in a match with Portugal on Saturday and now need to avoid losing against the Czechia to finish as group runners-up.
The participation of the Turkish national team in the Euro championship, hosted by Germany, saw a surge in the activity of e-commerce websites according to Hakan Çevikoğlu, head of the Electronic Commerce Operators Association (ETID).
According to sales figures, Çevikoğlu noted that football fans prefer watching matches of this major tournament on new and large-screen televisions.
"The latest TV systems are also preferred. There has been a significant increase in sales of 65-75-85 inch televisions, with the strong interest in OLED and QLED TVs," he said.
"The most preferred TVs were those priced between TL 20,000-TL 30,000 ($610-$915)," he added.
Moreover, Çevikoğlu highlighted that televisions and sound systems have garnered significant interest due to Euro 2024 and he also reported the noticeable increase in air conditioner sales with rising temperatures.
"The number of people purchasing large-screen TVs through e-commerce has doubled compared to last year. There has also been an increase in the projector category and sales of sound systems," he explained.
"The majority of purchases were made by customers aged 28-45. In the e-commerce sector, there has also been an increase in sales of football products such as footballs, cleats and jerseys, which have nearly doubled," noted Çevikoğlu.
Touching upon sales of air conditioners and cooling appliances he said there has been an increase of 30% compared to June last year.
"We believe the increased demand for air conditioners is influenced by people wanting to watch the football championship comfortably at home," he said.
However, apart from the positive reflection of the Euro on sales, Çevikoğlu also warned about fraudulent activities during the championship set to last through July 14.
He mentioned occasions when some scammers take advantage by creating fake e-commerce sites and victimizing citizens and emphasized the importance for consumers to be cautious about the websites they shop from, recommending shopping from sites that display trust seals to ensure minimum security.