Türkiye’s e-commerce sector an engine of economic growth and trade
In Türkiye, e-commerce has evolved from being merely an important driver of sales to becoming one of the main engines of economic growth and global competitiveness. That is according to a report by Dogma Alares, Iyzico, and Etid.
As in many other markets worldwide, e-commerce experienced a surge during the Covid-19 pandemic and has firmly established itself as a permanent force. In 2019, the market was valued at 0.14 trillion Turkish lira. Years of exceptional growth saw this figure climb to 1.9 trillion lira, and in 2024 alone, the sector expanded by 62%, surpassing the 3 trillion lira mark.
“These figures illustrate how rapidly e-commerce’s role in the economy is changing, and that it has now reached a scale comparable to traditional sectors,” said Orkun Saitoğlu, CEO of Iyzico.
To put this into perspective: the share of e-commerce in Türkiye’s GDP nearly tripled between 2019 and 2024, rising from 2.7% to 6.5%. By comparison, the share is 16.1% in China, 5.0% in Germany, and between 10% and 11% in both the UK and the US.
Continued internet usage (more than half of Turkish individuals now shop online according to the report), increasing internet penetration and the transformation in consumer habits were among the key factors supporting this growth. The researchers also noted growing confidence from consumers in using online channels, which has driven an increase in average basket size.
From a sector perspective, the fashion and accessories category are the leaders in terms of total e-commerce volume, while the services sector continues to have the largest share in terms of the number of transactions.
“The rapid growth in areas such as food, digital content and hobby categories shows that consumer behavior is increasingly diversifying and traditional shopping patterns continue to change,” noted Erdal Güner, partner at Dogma Alares.
Payments
In terms of payments, credit cards are the most are the most used method, accounting for more than half (51%) of the number of transactions and a significant portion (65%) of the sales volume. While credit cards are the primary choice of consumers for online shopping, the fact that they predominantly turn to this method for payments requiring high amounts proves that credit cards are an indispensable payment instrument in e-commerce.
In 2024, payments through Iyzico showed a remarkable uptick, up 6.2 percentage points in the number of transactions to a 16% share of the total, and up 5.9 percentage points in sales volume to a 21% share of sales volume. The method is popular due to its fast, secure and easy payment experience, as well as advantages such as one-click payment, installments and buyer protection (secure shopping).
International e-commerce
As e-commerce grows in Türkiye, the nation is simultaneously positioning itself as a competitive and reliable export partner in the domain. The report found that the volume of e-exports grew from $2.2 billion in 2022 to $6.4 billion in 2024. In 2025, this figure is expected to reach $8 billion.
Güner: “In recent years, e-export has offered a strong alternative to traditional export models, creating new opportunities especially for small and medium-sized businesses.”
With its strategic location, production power and price-quality advantage, Türkiye has the potential to stand out especially in European, Middle Eastern and North American markets. The nation has notable strengths in high-demand sectors such as textiles, home decoration and food, not just in the region but worldwide.
Dogma Alares, Iyzico and Etid expect Türkiye to continue its export-led growth in the coming years. “While government incentives and improving logistics infrastructure support exporters, customer-oriented digital solutions and localized marketing strategies will carry Türkiye to a stronger position in e-exports,” stated Güner.
The outlook
In the coming years, growth will remain on the horizon as more Turkish nationals gain access to online channels and make the transition from brick-and-mortar only shopping to omnichannel shopping.
Technology will continue to be the biggest disruptor of the landscape, especially artificial intelligence (AI). “AI-supported customer experience solutions, automation systems, digital payment infrastructures and personalized marketing strategies are becoming the most important factors determining the competitive advantages of e-commerce businesses.”
Additionally, industry players will need to ensure they remain at the forefront of customer-oriented innovation, data-driven decision-making mechanisms and flexible payment solutions.
In terms of market structure, further uptake is expected beyond Türkiye’s key hotspots. Although Istanbul and big cities still rank first in terms of seller density, the trend of Anatolian entrepreneurs and micro-scale businesses leaning towards e-commerce is increasing every year. This development will continue and enable the e-commerce revolution to spread to a wider base across Türkiye.
Conclusion
Building on its growth and impact, Türkiye’s e-commerce ecosystem is becoming one of the most important parts of Türkiye’s growth story, not only in terms of transaction volume but also in terms of the economic opportunities it offers. The landscape is shaped by a range of actors such as suppliers, logistics companies, payment providers, marketplaces and customers, and continues to evolve with its future.
About the study
The report, titled ‘E-commerce Ecosystem in Türkiye’, was conducted fir the fourth time by Dogma Alares (a management consulting firm), Iyzico (an e-commerce payments platform), and Etid (the Association of Turkish Internet Retailers).
