Mobile Commerce Adoption and Sales Performance Among Informal Food Retailers in Yangon, Myanmar

Abstract

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) increasingly shapes how small enterprises in emerging economies reach customers and sustain sales, yet adoption among informal retailers remains uneven because of constraints such as trust, digital literacy, and infrastructure. This study examines the association between m-commerce adoption and sales performance among 120 informal food retailers across 36 townships in Yangon, Myanmar, using a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test to compare self-reported sales before and after adoption. Results show a statistically significant increase in sales following adoption, with average growth of 22% (Z = -7.14, p < .01); nearly 80% of respondents reported improved sales, and nearly one-third attributed more than 20% of monthly revenue to m-commerce. TikTok emerged as an important promotional channel, used by 35% of retailers. Findings suggest m-commerce functions as a practical, low-cost growth mechanism for informal retailers, with implications for platform design, digital-skills training, and inclusive urban economic policy.