Valentine's Day spending, combined with the additional demand from Ramadan, coming in the same period this year, is expected to boost e-commerce volume in February in Türkiye, sector representatives said on Tuesday.

The e-commerce volume is expected to top TL 400 billion ($9.1 billion), according to Hakan Çevikoğlu, president of the Electronic Commerce Operators Association (ETID).

Valentine's Day creates a significant spike in demand in the sector as the first major campaign period of the year in e-commerce, Çevikoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA).

He noted that with the campaigns starting from the last week of January, there has been noticeable activity in both transaction volume and user interaction on e-commerce platforms as well as with retailers.

Valentine's Day, which comes later this week, is traditionally a popular period when an uptick in sales of fresh flowers and personalized gifts occurs, both in Türkiye and worldwide.

At the same time, the holy month of Ramadan, which this year begins on Feb. 19, is a time when families and friends often come together for breaking the fast (iftar) and when dishes are prepared with utmost diligence.

Ahead of Ramadan, individuals and families tend to do larger shopping, purchasing foods and drinks specific to this month, such as dates and special types of flavored juices (sherbets).

Sales rise of 50% to 60%

"The combination of Valentine's Day week with pre-Ramadan shopping is expected to signal a stronger demand outlook in e-commerce sales across the sector," Çevikoğlu maintained.

"Therefore, in addition to gift-focused categories, we anticipate that sales in food and fast-moving consumer goods related to Ramadan will increase by an average of 50%-60%," he added.

Noting that the Valentine's Day campaigns, along with Ramadan needs, will not only create a short-term sales momentum, Çevikoğlu said they expect e-commerce to stand out as a strategic period that shapes the sector's first-quarter performance and allows insights into consumer trends for the rest of the year.

Furthermore, he highlighted that the most demanded categories in e-commerce during this period are clothing, cosmetics, electronics, jewelry and accessories, home decoration and Valentine's Day-themed gift products.

Consumer preferences

"Flowers and chocolates, as every year, are among the indispensables of this special day, while the impact of the winter season sees noticeable activity in products like sweaters, blankets and specially printed textiles," he noted.

Çevikoğlu explained that there has been a shift in gift preferences toward more meaningful, experience-based and personalization-focused items in recent years.

"Consumers are increasingly turning to experience-based gifts such as travel, concert and event tickets, vacation and hotel reservations, alongside traditional products," he said.

"Donations to associations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the name of loved ones, tree planting, and scholarship support, which contain social responsibility aspects, are also becoming more widespread," he added.

"We expect the e-commerce volume in February to exceed TL 400 billion. During this period, the average basket size is expected to rise to around TL 3,000 to TL 5,000 due to the effect of Valentine's Day campaigns," Çevikoğlu also said.