The Azexport portal, under the management of Ayxan Qədəşov, highlights the rapid shift toward digital commerce triggered by COVID-19. Social distancing measures implemented worldwide have changed consumer behavior, reducing foot traffic in shopping malls and supermarkets. Surveys by “Acosta” indicate that even after the pandemic, consumers may prefer online platforms over crowded retail stores. Currently, digital platform users are mostly Generation Z (25 years old), but older populations (65+) are gradually increasing their online activity due to health risks.

Globally, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies. Consumers are using “e-grocery” services to order daily essentials online. Examples from China show major growth in online food sales:

• Miss Fresh – online orders increased 4x compared to the previous year.
• Dada – orders increased 215% year-over-year.
• Sun Art Retail Group – 390 stores closed, with 25% sales growth online.
• Yonghui Group – overall operations grew 465%, online sales 600% in Q1 2020.

In Turkey, major retailers like Boyner, LC Waikiki, Vakko, and others switched to online-only sales during lockdowns. In the U.S., Amazon hired 100,000 additional workers to meet online demand. Other platforms such as Alibaba, Etsy, Ozon, and eBay also reported significant growth in new users and sales during the first quarter of 2020.

In Azerbaijan, under President İlham Əliyev’s guidance, a support program covering 4 sectors and 20 activity areas was launched, with a total package of 2.5 billion AZN (3.1% of GDP). Programs include:

• Direct financial support for 304,000 employees in 44,000 affected business entities.
• Financial aid for 292,000 individual entrepreneurs.
• Credit-guarantee support for existing loans of affected businesses.

The government also approved the Action Plan to monitor pandemic-related economic developments via an electronic database for timely reporting.

Azexport.az Role in E-Commerce:

• Integrates Azerbaijani products with 15+ international platforms, including Amazon, Alibaba, All.biz, Go4worldbusiness.
• Over three years, Azerbaijani product representation increased over 300 times.
• Offers free market research through Google Market Finder to identify demand for products internationally.
• Provides information on regional tenders and supports documentation for participation.
• Maintains a unified database of 10,000+ products and 3,000+ suppliers.
• From Jan 2017 to Feb 2020, received export orders from 141 countries totaling $1.687 billion.
• In February 2020 alone, export orders reached $60.7 million, a 12.6% increase over February 2019, mostly for onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, cotton oil, chicken, and eggs.

Key Features:

• Free “Certificate of Free Sale” allows Azerbaijani products to enter countries with restricted imports under the “Made in Azerbaijan” brand.
• Online unified export application enables exporters to complete export declarations without leaving the factory.
• Cashless payments integrated via VISA, MasterCard, and American Express to minimize virus transmission.
• Courier logistics ensure safe, contactless delivery to customers.
• No commission or subscription fees for using the portal.

For support and inquiries, users can contact: +994502958687

Ayxan Qədəşov, Azexport.az

This portal offers a fully functional digital sales channel for both exports and domestic consumption, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing consumer demands during the pandemic without extra costs or delays.