The Iranian e-commerce industry has witnessed a tremendous growth in the past couple of years. Online shopping is becoming more common amongst the various classes of the society. Here are 8 popular online shopping websites in Iran for you to know about.

According to the data provided by E-Commerce Monitor (ECM) gathered from the Central Bank of Iran, only 3 percent of the total number of transactions in the country have been online, but the numbers are growing at an unprecedented rate.

The average number of online transactions in the past 9 months of the Persian year (1394) compared to the previous year saw a 25% growth. More online shops are popping up every week trying to fill in the gap in a specific segment of the market. Tehran as the main tech hub of the country owns 46.7 percent of the total number of online businesses. The other four active provinces in Iran in terms of the number of online businesses are Esfahan, Razavi Khorasan, Fars and East Azerbaijan with 7.9%, 7.7%, 5% and 3.8% respectively.

The rising number of the middle class in Iran and the fast growth of the internet infrastructure and the mobile devices are playing a big role in the prosperity of the country’s e-commerce sector.

Here are 8 popular e-commerce websites in Iran with a low ranking on alexa.com (less than 400 in Iran) which are getting heavy daily traffics from inside the country.

Digikala

Perhaps the most popular internet based company in the country which is now dominating the online market in Iran. Digikala became a success story and the leader of the country’s e-commerce by paving the way for the new comers. This e-commerce website owns 85 percent of the market and is estimated to be worth over 300 million dollars. Digikala is considered as the biggest online shop in the Middle East with over 850 thousand visitors per day. The company started by selling electronics and computer devices but it diversified its categories since a couple of years ago. Books, music instruments, footwear, home equipments and cosmetics are some of the other categories that are being sold on Digikala.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 4

Bamilo

Bamilo is the second largest marketplace website in Iran. Although the market share gap between Digikala and Bamilo is high, the company has attracted many customers thanks to their competitive pricing. Financial support of MTN group also gave a huge boost to the fast growth of this online shop. The website also offers a better variety of items in some categories compared to Digikala. The company is also known for its special sales and deals during different occasions of the year.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 24

Esam

Esam is the local version of eBay for Iranians. The website was launched in 2011 and provides consumer-to-consumer services to users via its platform. Esam also has an auction section and provides a platform for the sellers to set their own online shop page. Registering on Esam, participating in the auctions and building your own marketplace on the platform is free of charge. Esam takes 7% for products valued less than 10,000 Tomans ($3) and the commission becomes smaller as the price increases.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 113

Modiseh

Modiseh is one of the leading fashion online shops in Iran which was founded in 2015. The website is backed by GBG Group, one of the oldest and prominent holdings in Iran with experience in consumer and non-consumer markets. The website offers a wide variety of local and international products in different categories of clothing, baby products, homeware, food and beverages.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 187

Shixon

Another online fashion shop claiming to bring the latest trends. The website offers various categories such as clothing, jewellery, perfume and accessories. Shixon has representatives in more than 30 cities of Iran to insure fast delivery for its customers. The website won the prize for the best professional online shop in Iran selected by the Iran Web and Mobile Festival jury team. Customers also have the option to try on the item that they have bought from Shixon at home and if they weren’t satisfied with the color or the size they can send it back and get a refund.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 186

IranEcar

A website to buy cars directly from the local manufacturers. Currently the largest online transactions are done over IranEcar due to the essence of the products sold on the website. IKCO and Saipa, two of the biggest car manufacturers in Iran redirect their online customers to IranEcar.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 222

Raja

Perhaps one of the oldest websites in Iran that implemented online payment. Raja is the official website of the national state-owned railway system of Iran. The website offers an easy-to-use platform to buy train tickets. Users can also find out about the services and the types of the trains operating in the country. A mobile application for Raja is expected to be released soon.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 297

Cinematicket

The most popular website for Iranians who want to buy cinema or theatre tickets. Unlike many other online services that are limited to the users from Tehran, Cinematicket also offers its services in other provinces of the country. Users can see the showtimes and select their desired seats and pay online.

Alexa ranking in Iran: 356

Amazon and Alibaba

Although most Iranians don’t have access to intentional payment cards, they still find a way to access the services of websites such as Amazon and Alibaba. Interesting fact is Alibaba is the 53rd most visited website in Iran according to Alexa rankings. Amazon also holds the 169th spot in this list. Many who can’t find their desired products in the local market find a middleman to buy the items from those international websites. To find out more about this matter read this article: Iranians Can Now Buy from Amazon & eBay. Kind of.

These website are only a small portion of the many other successful e-commerce platforms in the country. Stay tuned for more articles on the state of e-commerce in Iran from TechRasa.