5 Installments on Credit Cards at Datça Market Stalls

A photo taken at the local market in Datça district of Muğla sparked a widespread economic debate both regionally and on social media. Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) Adana Deputy Burhanettin Bulut shared on his own social media account a striking banner hanging at the Datça market stall that read "5 Installments on Credit Card for Vegetables and Fruits." The start of installment sales with credit cards for fresh products grown in Muğla's fertile lands at the local market created a striking example to show the level that purchasing power has reached among both local consumers and market vendors.

Datça Market Share Became Agenda on Social Media

CHP Deputy Burhanettin Bulut shared this interesting photo recorded at the Datça market stall on digital platforms and made striking comments. Criticizing the level the economy has reached via practices at local markets, Deputy Bulut stated in his written declaration:

"A single frame is enough to explain the state of the economy: ‘5 installments on vegetables and fruits.’ Previously, installments were made for televisions, refrigerators, cars. Today, citizens are forced to buy even the vegetables and fruits they put on their table on credit card installments. While some tell tales that ‘the economy is soaring,’ millions of people meet even their most basic food needs by borrowing. This picture is neither a success story nor normal. This is the portrait of a impoverished people."

Installments Previously for Household Appliances Now at Market Stalls

This banner hung at the local market in Muğla's Datça district revealed how financial methods in food shopping have transformed. In previous years, installment and deferred payment options were generally preferred for durable consumer goods, electronic devices, household appliances, or car purchases, but under today's economic conditions, they have reached market stalls that directly meet people’s daily nutrition needs.

Citizens of Muğla turn to their credit card limits to balance weekly kitchen expenses and access basic foodstuffs. Market vendors try to sustain their commercial presence by offering installment options via banking POS devices to balance the decline in customers' purchasing power and maintain sales volume.

This installment food sale period started at the Datça market stall has also raised the question of whether similar practices exist in market places of other large districts of Muğla such as Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, and Menteşe. Local trade chambers and citizens state that shopping with cash is becoming increasingly difficult due to rising food costs.

Offering an installment option at the market allows consumers to bring products to their table instantly while increasing household debt ratios for the future. This practice, initiated by a local vendor on their own initiative or through a bank agreement, is recorded as one of the latest socio-economic documents proving how much the living standards of the people have changed amid Muğla’s agricultural and tourism identity.