Firms unhappy with fees online marketplaces charge

Shipping costs, excessive competition and logistics-related problems are other main issues companies complain about, according to a survey the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) commissioned.

Some 513 companies based in Istanbul participated in the survey investigating how e-commerce and e-exports are transforming the companies operating in the real sector.

More than 56 percent of the companies complained about high commission fees online marketplace charge, while 45.5 percent mentioned cargo costs as their major problem, the study showed.

Some 37.8 percent of the respondents said excessive competition on those platforms is the main difficulty they face, while high logistics costs ranked fourth with 30.9 percent.

Around 48 percent of the companies conduct e-commerce operations via their own websites, mobile applications and e-commerce platforms, according to the survey.

More than 39 percent of the companies that took part in the survey said they have been involved in e-commerce for three to five years, while only 9.4 percent said that they had been in the e-commerce market for 10 years or more.