The e-commerce volume in Turkey soared to TL 381.5 billion ($25.87 billion) in 2021, a sector official said Saturday, as the coronavirus pandemic triggered a boom in online shopping.
The volume stood at TL 226.2 billion in 2020, surging by 66% year-over-year from TL 136 billion in 2019, before the outbreak spurred a flock to e-commerce as consumers preferred the safety and convenience of home deliveries.
"We anticipate that the process of growing e-commerce will exceed TL 560 billion in 2022 with investments to be made again related to consumer demands," Association of E-Commerce Operators (ETID) Chairperson Emre Ekmekçi said.
"At the same time, we think that e-exports will also gain a great momentum in 2022 with tax cuts, government support and investments by global platforms," Ekmekçi said in a statement.
E-commerce has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic, as containment measures introduced millions to the convenience of online shopping. And the boom in online shopping is expected to be sustained even after the pandemic.
The number of orders soared by 46% year-over-year to nearly 3.35 billion in 2021, Ekmekçi said. The figure stood at 2.3 billion in 2020, as it soared by 68% year-over-year compared to 1.36 billion in 2019.
The ratio of e-commerce to general trade stood at 17.7% last year, the data showed. It hit the highest level in November with 20.4%.
The number of firms engaged in e-commerce rose to 484,347, according to ETID. It leaped from 256,861 in 2020 and around 68,000 in 2019.
The data showed an increase of 175% in the e-commerce accommodation sector, 162% in the food and supermarket sector, 113% in travel, shipping storage, 98% in the airline sector, 78% in the food sector and 26% in the clothing, shoes and accessories sector.
On a sector-by-sector basis, the data showed that e-commerce volume in home and small household appliances reached nearly TL 53 billion last year, followed by TL 24.2 billion in clothing, shoes and accessories and TL 21.4 billion in the electronics sector.
Ekmekçi stated that they expect the growth and investments in the sector, which has gained considerable momentum for two years with the pandemic, to continue at the same momentum.