Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Business, Management and Economics
Year: 2025
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The Impact of Mobile Commerce Adoption on Sales Performance in Yangon’s Informal Food Retail Sector
Saka Bahadur, Soula Kyriakou
ABSTRACT:
Mobile commerce (m-commerce) is reshaping retail landscapes in emerging economies, yet its uptake among small informal businesses remains limited. In Yangon, Myanmar – where traditional food markets are dominated by micro and family-run enterprises – this study investigates the impact of m-commerce adoption on sales performance. The aim is to provide empirical evidence to guide digital transition strategies for small-scale retailers operating in the informal sector.
A structured survey was conducted with 120 food retailers across 36 townships in Yangon, including vendors of street food, noodles, and small grocery items. Respondents provided sales data from periods before and after adopting m-commerce platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and food delivery applications. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to analyze changes in sales performance.
The results indicate a statistically significant increase in sales following m-commerce adoption, with average growth of 22% (p < 0.01). Moreover, 81.7% of retailers reported sales improvement, and 32% stated that m-commerce now contributes more than 20% of their total revenue. These findings offer robust evidence that m-commerce adoption is positively associated with increased sales among small food retailers.
The study contributes to broader discussions on digital inclusion in the informal economy and underscores the need for targeted policy support, digital infrastructure, and vendor training. As Yangon’s markets begin to digitize, understanding the real economic outcomes of m-commerce adoption is essential to fostering inclusive and sustainable growth.
Keywords: mobile commerce, small retailers, sales performance, digital transformation, myanmar