WORLDEF E-COMMERCE

Styli: The Digital Fashion Ecosystem Rising with the Power of Landmark Group

Styli, the digital fashion platform backed by Landmark Group, is becoming one of the most remarkable players in the rising e-commerce ecosystem of the Gulf Region. Bringing together more than 600 brands and over 200,000 products under one roof, the platform is showing rapid growth in the GCC fashion market with its mobile-focused structure, AI-powered operations, and social commerce strategies. In our exclusive interview with Styli Chief Growth Officer Abhinav Nair for WORLDEF E-COMMERCE Magazine, we discussed many important topics, from the company’s growth strategy to its data-driven customer experience, from its logistics infrastructure to its loyalty programs.

Abhinav Nair emphasizes that Styli is not only a fashion platform, but also a technology-driven ecosystem designed according to the new-generation digital shopping habits of the Gulf Region. Abhinav Nair gave the following advice to entrepreneurs: “Be obsessed with the customer, not the competition. If you deeply understand how a 22-year-old discovers and buys fashion, you will be one step ahead of your competitors. Move fast and learn faster!”

In the interview, Gen Z consumer behaviors, AI-powered personalization systems, the 24–48-hour delivery model, and social media-centered growth strategies especially stand out. The interview also features striking details about Styli’s expansion plans into beauty, life, and lifestyle categories, as well as its future goals in the GCC market.

Styli was launched in 2019 as Landmark Group’s first digital-only fashion venture and has since scaled rapidly across the GCC. How would you describe Styli’s growth journey, and how has being backed by Landmark Group shaped that trajectory?

Styli was born in 2019 with a clear conviction: GCC consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, deserved a fashion e-commerce platform built specifically for them – not a bolt-on to a physical retail operation. In just over six years, we have scaled to 200,000+ styles across 600+ brands, built a rapidly growing customer base, and established a strong presence across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and most recently Oman.

Being part of Landmark Group – a conglomerate with 50+ years of regional retail expertise, 2,200+ stores, and presence across 17 countries – gave us an unmatched advantage. We inherited deep supply chain infrastructure, established vendor relationships, and access to the region’s largest retail loyalty ecosystem. But we operate with the speed and agility of a startup: lean teams, rapid inventory cycles, and continuous technology releases that keep our platform evolving daily. That combination of heritage and agility is what defines our growth story.

How does Styli leverage Landmark Group’s diverse ecosystem – spanning retail, hospitality, and loyalty programs – to create a strategic advantage in the e-commerce space?

As a digital-first brand within one of the region’s largest conglomerates, Styli benefits from cross-ecosystem synergies that a standalone e-commerce player simply cannot replicate. Landmark Group’s portfolio spans fashion retail (Max, Centrepoint, Splash), electronics (Emax), hospitality (Citymax Hotels, Fitness First), and Shukran – the region’s largest retail loyalty program.

For Styli, this means access to a massive, pre-existing customer base that we can engage through co-branded campaigns, cross-sell initiatives, and shared loyalty infrastructure. A Shukran member shopping at Centrepoint offline can earn and redeem points on Styli online, creating a seamless omnichannel value loop. We also tap into shared sourcing capabilities, logistics networks, and strategic partnerships with banks and payment providers that the Group has cultivated over decades. This ecosystem advantage allows us to acquire customers more efficiently, retain them longer, and deliver value that competitors operating in isolation struggle to match.

Styli has evolved from a direct-to-consumer brand into a marketplace with 600+ brands. How do you manage the balance between your owned labels and third-party brand portfolio?

Styli’s evolution from a curated direct-to-consumer platform to a marketplace with 600+ brands has been deliberate and strategic. Our owned and exclusive labels give us margin control, trend agility, and differentiation – we design specifically for GCC tastes, including modest fashion, regional sizing, and locally relevant aesthetics. These in-house brands allow us to respond to micro-trends within weeks, not months.

At the same time, our third-party brand portfolio gives customers the breadth and brand recognition they expect. We curate carefully – every brand on Styli must resonate with our core demographic of 18-to-35-year-olds. The synergy between owned and third-party works because both serve the same consumer promise: on-trend, affordable, and regionally relevant fashion. We use data-driven demand forecasting and AI-powered merchandising to ensure the right mix appears for the right customer, whether they are discovering a new Styli exclusive or shopping for a globally recognized label.

How do Styli’s loyalty mechanisms – including Shukran integration and Styli Cash – drive customer retention and lifetime value in the competitive GCC fashion market?

Loyalty in fashion e-commerce is not just about points and discounts – it is about making customers feel understood and valued. At Styli, we operate a layered loyalty architecture. First, we are integrated with Shukran, Landmark Group’s flagship loyalty program with millions of active members across the GCC. This gives Styli customers instant access to earn and redeem points across 55+ brands and 2,200+ touchpoints, creating a value ecosystem far beyond what any standalone fashion app can offer.

Second, we run Styli Cash – an in-app credit and cashback system that rewards engagement, not just transactions. This drives repeat purchase behavior and increases visit frequency. We also leverage strategic partnerships with banks across the GCC for exclusive offers, cashback programs, and BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) integrations that reduce purchase friction. The result is a customer retention flywheel: Shukran provides the breadth, Styli Cash provides the immediacy, and our financial partnerships provide the incentive. Together, they help us build relationships that go beyond a single purchase.

As a digital-native platform within a traditional retail conglomerate, how does Styli approach innovation and what role does technology play in your growth strategy?

Styli was conceived as a digital-native brand from day one – not a digitized version of a physical store. That distinction matters. Our entire infrastructure is built on a leading cloud platform running a microservices architecture that allows us to deploy updates continuously. This gives us the agility to experiment, iterate, and scale at a pace that traditional retail technology stacks cannot support.

We leverage AI and machine learning across the customer journey: personalized product recommendations that increase average order value, demand forecasting models that keep our inventory lean and responsive, and dynamic pricing algorithms that respond to real-time demand signals. Our customer support stack is powered by AI-driven automation and WhatsApp-first communication, enabling real-time resolution and contextual engagement with a predominantly mobile-first, Gen Z audience. Our app – where the vast majority of our transactions happen – is built for cross-platform consistency, with features designed for how our customers actually shop: vertical video content, social commerce integration, and one-tap checkout with biometric authentication. Innovation at Styli is not a department; it is how we operate.

How has Styli built its logistics and fulfillment capabilities to deliver on the promise of 24–48 hour delivery across the GCC?

Speed is the currency of e-commerce, and in the GCC, customer expectations are among the highest globally. Styli operates with a warehouse-first model out of Riyadh, which serves as our primary fulfillment hub. We offer same-day delivery in Riyadh and 24–48 hour delivery across major cities in Saudi Arabia, with reliable coverage extending to the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.

To achieve this, we have invested in warehouse management systems for route optimization, real-time inventory visibility, and automated order processing. We leverage Landmark Group’s established logistics infrastructure – one of the most extensive in the region – while layering on e-commerce-specific capabilities like last-mile tracking, automated returns processing, and localized delivery partner networks. What makes our model distinctive is that we export from Saudi Arabia to the rest of the GCC – a testament to our KSA-first strategy and the depth of our operations in the Kingdom. We are continuously investing in reducing delivery timelines and expanding our fulfillment footprint as we scale across all six GCC markets.

How does Styli think about sustainability and responsible growth, particularly given its appeal to a Gen Z audience that increasingly values purpose-driven brands?

Our core audience – Gen Z and young Millennials – are vocal about sustainability, and we recognize the responsibility that comes with building a fast-fashion brand for this generation. At Styli, we are focused on embedding responsible practices into our operations as we scale.

On the operational side, our lean inventory model significantly reduces overproduction and waste compared to traditional fashion retail cycles. We are exploring eco-conscious collections and sustainable packaging alternatives as part of our product roadmap. On the community engagement front, we are proud of initiatives like our customer service model in Saudi Arabia, which creates flexible employment opportunities for Saudi women. As we continue to grow, we see sustainability not as a marketing lever but as a business imperative – something that must evolve alongside the expectations of the consumers we serve and the communities we operate in.

How has the rapid evolution of GCC consumer behavior – particularly among Gen Z shoppers – shaped Styli’s business model and go-to-market approach?

The GCC consumer is arguably the most digitally sophisticated in the emerging markets world. With smartphone penetration exceeding 99% in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and mobile commerce growing at double-digit rates annually, the consumer we serve lives on their phone. At Styli, the majority of our customer base falls in the 18–35 age bracket, and they discover fashion through TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat before they ever visit a product page.

This has fundamentally shaped our model. We invest heavily in social commerce – deep links from social platforms directly into our app, influencer collaborations with regional creators, and vertical video content that mirrors how our audience consumes media. We have shifted from a traditional funnel to a discovery-led model: hundreds of new styles added daily keeps the experience fresh and creates habitual engagement. The GCC consumer also expects localized payment options (cash on delivery remains significant), Arabic-first customer service, and culturally relevant curation – from Ramadan capsule collections to National Day exclusives. Our model is designed around these behaviors, not retrofitted to accommodate them.

As a purely digital brand, how does Styli create a seamless customer experience without physical stores, and how does the Landmark Group ecosystem enable an omnichannel-like advantage?

Styli is 100% digital by design, which gives us the advantage of focusing every resource on the online experience without the complexity of store operations. However, being part of Landmark Group means we are never truly without physical touchpoints. Shukran loyalty integration means a customer who shops at Centrepoint, Max, or Home Centre offline can carry their loyalty benefits directly to Styli online. This creates an organic omnichannel bridge without us needing to operate stores.

We also explore strategic physical activations – pop-up experiences, event marketing, and partnerships – that create brand awareness and experiential moments without the overhead of permanent retail spaces. Internally, we benefit from Landmark Group’s shared customer data ecosystem, which gives us visibility into offline purchase patterns that inform our online merchandising and targeting. The result is an omnichannel advantage without omnichannel cost. We believe the future of fashion retail in the GCC is not about choosing between online and offline, but about creating ecosystems where the customer moves seamlessly between both. Styli is the digital gateway to that ecosystem.

How does Styli use data analytics, AI, and personalization to drive key e-commerce metrics like conversion rate, average order value, and customer lifetime value?

Data is the backbone of everything we do at Styli. Our cloud-based analytics infrastructure gives us real-time visibility into customer behavior, product performance, and marketing ROI at a granular level.

On the personalization front, our AI-driven recommendation engine analyzes browsing patterns, purchase history, and style preferences to surface products that are individually relevant – not just popular. This directly impacts conversion rates and average order value. Our demand forecasting models use machine learning to predict which styles will resonate, allowing us to optimize inventory allocation and reduce markdowns.

For customer lifetime value, we use advanced segmentation to identify high-value cohorts and tailor engagement strategies accordingly – from personalized push notifications and app-exclusive drops to early access for loyal customers. We also run continuous A/B testing across the entire funnel, from homepage layouts to checkout flows, ensuring every interaction is optimized. The ambition is clear: use data not just to sell, but to understand, anticipate, and delight.

What are Styli’s growth ambitions and strategic priorities for the next three to five years across the GCC and beyond?

Our ambition is to become the definitive fashion destination for Gen Z and Millennials across the GCC. Over the next three to five years, our strategic priorities are organized around three pillars:

Category Expansion: We are actively growing beyond fashion into beauty, home, and baby – categories where our existing customer base has clear, demonstrated demand. Beauty, in particular, is a natural extension of our fashion proposition and is already showing strong traction.

Brand Portfolio Expansion: We are investing in our marketplace model and infrastructure to onboard more brands and deepen our assortment. Moving from 600+ brands today toward a broader, curated marketplace that gives customers more choice while maintaining the quality and relevance they expect from Styli.

Geographic Expansion: With our recent launch in Oman, Styli now has a presence across all six GCC markets – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. Our focus is on deepening penetration in each market with localized strategies, while evaluating expansion into adjacent regions.

We believe the GCC e-commerce opportunity is still in its early innings. With a young, digitally native population, high internet penetration, and supportive government initiatives like Vision 2030, the fundamentals for sustained growth are firmly in place. Styli intends to be at the center of that growth.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and young professionals looking to build in the e-commerce and fashion technology space, particularly in the GCC?

Three things I have learned across my career journey to building Styli:

First, obsess over the customer, not the competition. In the GCC, the consumer is evolving faster than most businesses can keep up. If you deeply understand how a 22-year-old in Riyadh discovers, evaluates, and purchases fashion, you will always be one step ahead of competitors who are just benchmarking each other.

Second, move fast and learn faster. Styli’s culture is built on rapid experimentation. We test, measure, and iterate continuously. In e-commerce, the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of a failed experiment. Launch, learn, and refine.

Third, leverage the GCC’s unique advantages. This region has extraordinary fundamentals for e-commerce: young demographics, world-class digital infrastructure, high smartphone penetration, and government visions that actively encourage digital economy growth. The opportunity here is generational – and it is far from saturated.

My advice to young entrepreneurs is simple: build for the region, not just in the region. Understand the cultural nuances, respect the local consumer, and create something that could not have been built anywhere else. That is what we are doing at Styli, and it is what excites me most about the years ahead.

Digital Transformation in E-Export: The Perfect Harmony of Marketing, Technology, and Logistics

By Aytaç Akıncı | Founder & CEO, Ship to More

Digital Transformation in E-Export – We are all experiencing, with great excitement, the new golden age of global trade that removes borders. Thanks to the tremendous opportunities brought by digitalization, today, a unique product coming out of a local producer’s workshop can appear on the screen of a consumer overseas within seconds. The e-export ecosystem offers our brands the opportunity to discover new markets all around the world, bring cultures together, and tell their unique stories on the global stage. The most fundamental element that makes success sustainable in this exciting journey is the ability to carry the value produced with the same quality and care until the final moment it reaches the consumer.

In the modern e-commerce world, logistics has gone far beyond the process of simply moving a package from point A to point B. Logistics is the most valuable stage where the brand fulfills its promise, physically comes into contact with the customer, and builds brand trust. For e-exporters to gain a permanent, respected, and growing position in global markets, they must position logistics not as an operational step, but as the driving force at the very center of their marketing, technology, and customer experience strategies.

The Inseparable Integrity of Marketing and Logistics

Today, our e-export brands make very large and valuable investments in digital marketing processes. Flawless social media campaigns are designed, search engine optimizations are carried out, and millions of potential customers are reached through influencer collaborations. This process, which starts from the very top of the purchase funnel and continues all the way to the payment screen, is shaped by the unique power of digital marketing. However, the moment that valuable customer, acquired with a tremendous marketing budget, confirms the order is not the moment when marketing’s job ends; on the contrary, it is the moment when its most critical stage begins.

The real moment that determines customer loyalty is how quickly, transparently, and flawlessly that package reaches the consumer’s door. When a consumer whose expectations have been elevated to the highest level through a great marketing campaign receives the product within the promised time, in elegant packaging, and through a transparent process they can track from beginning to end, that consumer turns into an eternal brand ambassador for that brand. This is why, as Ship to More, we see logistics infrastructure as the strongest complement to the marketing strategy. Thanks to the flawless delivery infrastructure we offer to our businesses, we ensure that our brands receive the highest possible return on their marketing investments and reinforce global customer loyalty.

Digital Transformation in E-Export and the Rise of Agile Infrastructures

The key to success in e-export is being able to read data instantly, analyze it quickly, and make the right decision within seconds. This is only possible with an end-to-end digitalized, smart, and agile infrastructure. The logistics of the future is a system where there are no paper documents, long phone traffic, or uncertain waiting periods, and where everything flows autonomously through digital screens.

As a Technopark-approved logistics technology platform within Istanbul University Entertech, we use all our R&D power to create this agility. The high-speed panel we have developed for our e-exporters brings together all processes of cross-border operations on a single smart screen. Our businesses can integrate their orders into the system with just a few clicks, manage customs processes digitally, and track their shipments going to any point in the world instantly on a map. This powerful and modern infrastructure gives our brands tremendous time savings in operational processes, opening up a wide space for them to focus on their true passions: “developing new products and global marketing.”

Operations Liberated with the Multi-Main Carrier Model

Every market, every product, and even every customer has different expectations. In the dynamic world of e-export, where sometimes speed and sometimes cost optimization come to the forefront, having rich alternatives instead of depending on a single carrier provides brands with a unique range of movement. One of the greatest privileges offered by the Ship to More panel is that it blends this freedom with technology.

Our system instantly and transparently presents users with all price and transit time alternatives of the world’s most established and reliable logistics giants such as UPS, as well as strong partners such as Widect, a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, which we most recently integrated into our expanding network. The moment an e-exporter enters the panel, they can freely choose the most cost-effective, fastest, or strategically most suitable route for the target country. In line with our principle of transparency, after dimensional weight and volume are determined with state-of-the-art laser measuring devices at our operation center, these alternatives are completely surprise-free and clear prices. For 1 shipment, 1 invoice is always issued.

From Express Speed to Heavy-Tonnage Solutions: Borderless Capacity

Digitalization and speed are indispensable not only for small-volume B2C packages, but also for B2B operations, which are the backbone of the global supply chain. As our businesses grow on the global stage, their logistics needs also reach different dimensions. With this awareness, we do not limit our service vision only to express e-export packages.

For your heavy-tonnage and high-volume B2B shipments, we provide uninterrupted, end-to-end service to all main ports of the world in air, sea, and road transportation. With our operational strength, we manage all kinds of cargo models with the same confidence by integrating different modes of transport (FCL/LCL sea freight, charter aircraft rental, full or partial road transportation). In short, whether your product is an elegant gift box or an industrial load weighing tons, we remove borders, volumes, and weights for you.

A Vision That Brings Technology and People Together: VIP Logistics Experience

Digital transformation and automation add tremendous speed to e-export; however, we know very well that at the heart of international trade, there is always “people, sincerity, and trust.” Even if you use the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence tools, when you make an intercontinental shipment on behalf of your brand, you want to find a real expert in front of you who values your business as much as you do.

By taking a pioneering step in the sector that blends technology with a human-centric approach, we have completely personalized the logistics experience. With our shipment-specific “Chat Box” feature, a first in Türkiye, we assign a dedicated VIP Logistics Consultant to each e-exporter who becomes a member of our panel. When you want to get information about the status of your shipment, request strategic advice about the customs regulations of the target country, or make a cost projection for a new market, you can correspond within seconds with your consultant who knows your business by heart, without wasting time with robots. This “Boutique & Premium” service approach, which combines the speed of technology with the problem-solving ability of people, ensures that our brands feel safe at every moment in global markets.

The e-commerce brands of the future will emerge from businesses that support their marketing vision with technology, value their customers, and use logistics as a competitive advantage. Our goal is not only to transport products, but to bring Türkiye’s unique entrepreneurial spirit, quality production, and visionary brands together with the world in the most elegant, fastest, and safest way.

Digital Transformation in E-Export – WORLDEF E-COMMERCE Magazine

Financial Architecture for E-Commerce Brands Targeting the U.S. Market: TAM Accounting

The United States (U.S.) is a giant economy that many companies dream of entering. Many companies begin selling successfully, but remain financially mispositioned. Often, they do not realize this until the costs become visible. It is not difficult to establish a company or start an e-commerce operation in the U.S. What really makes a difference is building the right foundation. The right company structure, the right tax strategy, and a scalable accounting system that supports growth are essential. TAM Accounting, which serves cross-border e-commerce brands, companies selling through global marketplaces, and international entrepreneurs scaling in America, was born out of the gaps faced by global businesses entering the U.S. market. TAM Accounting, based in the U.S., was a guest at WORLDEF E-COMMERCE!

TAM Accounting Founder and CEO Yeşim Deretam shaped the firm’s DNA through a finance and tax journey that began in Türkiye and deepened in the U.S. “We are positioned as a long-term financial architect, not as a year-end filing firm,” said Deretam, adding that they build sustainable systems that allow brands to grow with clarity and confidence. Deretam, who holds credentials such as IRS Enrolled Agent, IRS Acceptance Agent, and Tax Coach, and has deep experience in multi-state compliance, international tax, and e-commerce accounting, stated that TAM Accounting has become a strategic guide for global operators, not just a service provider.

“For Cross-Border E-Commerce Brands, Trust Means Preventing Costly Decisions Before They Happen”

“Our story is the story of becoming a trusted partner for companies that want to scale internationally with the right financial positioning from day one,” said Yeşim Deretam, explaining the company’s “Trusted Accounting Mentor” motto: “For us, trust is not only about accurate numbers or timely filings. Trust means providing foresight. Identifying risks early, asking the right questions at the right time, and standing beside the client as a strategic guide.

This motto reflects our view of accounting; not as a backward-looking reporting function, but as a management tool that shapes the future. The word ‘guide’ is intentional. We don’t only focus on today’s compliance we factor in 3–5 year growth goals, international expansion plans, capital structure, and long-term operational realities. Especially for cross-border e-commerce brands scaling in the U.S., trust means preventing costly decisions before they happen.”

Yeşim Deretam talked about what differentiates TAM Accounting from other firms: “Our greatest differentiator is that we treat tax and accounting as strategic infrastructure—not a commodity service. We work across a broad range of industries and business models from manufacturing and retail to entrepreneurs, franchise networks, and global e-commerce operators. We don’t just look at financial statements, we analyze the business ‘code.’ This approach allows us to identify weaknesses many companies don’t see internally and build solutions around them.”

Most In-Demand Services from TAM Accounting:

According to Yeşim Deretam, the most requested service areas from TAM Accounting are those that directly impact a company’s ability to enter and scale in the U.S. safely and efficiently. These are listed as:

U.S. company formation & strategic structuring: Choosing the right state, the right entity type (LLC, C-Corp, partnership), and building the tax-optimized foundation.
E-commerce-focused accounting and tax management: Platform-based bookkeeping design, fee/refund separation, profitability analysis, and multi-state compliance.
Sales tax & Nexus analysis: Identifying when and where obligations arise, managing registrations, filings, and sustainable systems as sales grow.
International tax planning & year-round tax strategy: Moving from reactive “tax season” behavior to proactive planning.
Financial reporting & cash flow visibility: Clean, readable reporting that supports leadership decisions—especially during rapid growth.

“We Treat E-Commerce as a Multi-Layered Ecosystem”

Talking about the specific services provided to e-commerce companies, Deretam said: “We treat e-commerce as a multi-layered ecosystem financially, operationally, and tax-wise. Our solutions are built to support scalability and profitability, not just bookkeeping. Marketplace and platform-based accounting systems are designed to separate revenue, fees, refunds, logistics, and marketing spend. E-commerce international tax planning helps reduce unnecessary tax burden in cross-border structures and prevent double-taxation pitfalls. E-commerce accounting is not ‘recording sales.’ It is building a structure that is scalable, tax-secure, and profit-driven.”

“Financial Architecture is Necessary for Growth in the U.S.”

When asked about the solutions offered for businesses selling through global marketplaces in the U.S., Deretam shared the following information: “In a market like the U.S., accounting and tax are not simply operational requirements they are strategic leverage. We deliver end-to-end structuring. From formation to IRS processes, EIN/ITIN support, and scalable financial setup. We provide proactive tax strategy across multi-state compliance, sales tax, international tax positioning, and IRS communications when needed. We offer platform-based accounting systems that clearly distinguish fees, refunds, logistics costs, ad spend, and currency issues. Additionally, we support clearer positioning through financial structuring and business readiness. We believe growth in the U.S. requires more than ‘compliance.’ It requires financial architecture.”

The Biggest Common Challenges E-Commerce Companies Face in the U.S.

TAM Accounting International Business Development Director Yonca Sal spoke about the biggest tax and accounting challenges e-commerce companies face in the U.S., saying: “The biggest challenge is the mismatch between the speed of digital commerce and the complexity of tax and accounting rules.” Sal listed the most common issues as:

Multi-state rules and sales tax complexity: Nexus can be triggered without realizing it through sales volume, fulfillment centers, warehousing, or 3PL operations leading to unexpected registration and filing obligations.
Poor platform accounting design: Without proper separation of fees, refunds, shipping, advertising, and currency impacts, companies can’t see real profitability and make unhealthy growth decisions.
Cross-border tax risks: When production, management, and sales span different countries, income positioning and double-taxation risk require specialized planning.
Cash flow pressure despite growth: High revenue does not guarantee liquidity especially with inventory financing and marketing spend.
Reactive behavior: Many companies address problems after they appear, but the U.S. system rewards proactive planning and penalizes late compliance.

For e-commerce brands, the real challenge is not selling it is managing the financial responsibilities that come with scaling.

The Impact of AI: “The Final Decision Depends on Experience and Professional Judgment”

When asked, “How is AI transforming your industry?” Yonca Sal answered: “AI is not only accelerating accounting—it is redefining the role of accountants. Routine tasks are increasingly automated, which elevates the value of human expertise in strategy, interpretation, and decision-making. AI supports faster data processing, lower error rates, and more consistent reporting. More importantly, it enables forecasting trend detection, scenario modeling, cash flow projections, and regulatory monitoring. However, in complex areas like international tax, multi-state exposure, and cross-border structuring, the final judgment still depends on experience and professional reasoning. At TAM Accounting, we view AI as a lever that improves advisory quality not as a replacement for expert guidance.”

“We Want to Build Long-Term Relationships Based on Trust”

Talking about TAM Accounting’s long-term goals, Yonca Sal said: “Our long-term goal is to be the trusted financial architect for companies scaling globally through the U.S. We aim to expand our depth and geographic impact in international tax and e-commerce financial systems. We also aim to become the first-choice partner for cross-border e-commerce brands, multi-state operators, and investment-ready C-Corps. We are investing in technology and AI to deliver faster insights. Above all, we want relationships built on long-term trust, not one-time transactions.”

“Dubai is the Most Natural Bridge to the U.S.”

“MENA and Dubai are a strategic priority in our long-term vision,” said Sal, adding: “We see Dubai not only as a growing market, but as a global hub where entrepreneurs, family businesses, e-commerce brands, and investors connect to international expansion opportunities. For many MENA-based companies, Dubai is the most natural bridge to the U.S. Our goal is to be that bridge—becoming a trusted, long-term financial partner for MENA-based brands expanding into the U.S.”

Manay CPA: End-to-End Financial Infrastructure for Establishing and Scaling a Business in the U.S.

Manay CPA operates as a licensed Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm in the United States, working with entrepreneurs and companies from all over the world that aim to enter the U.S. market. It provides services to individuals and companies conducting commercial activities across all 50 states of the U.S. Its scope of services includes company formation and structuring in the U.S., accounting and financial reporting, tax filings and tax planning, human resources/payroll processes, and financial audit services. Burcu Bree Manay, Co-Founder and CEO of Manay CPA, was a guest on WORLDEF E-COMMERCE.

Burcu Bree Manay stated, “Anyone who aims to establish a business, scale it, and grow sustainably in the United States is a natural part of our ecosystem. We offer end-to-end, tailor-made solutions shaped according to needs within this ecosystem,” and added,

“The most important factor that differentiates us is that we are not a structure that merely completes the incorporation process. During the incorporation stage, we do not focus only on documentation and registration processes. We also take into account our clients’ goals such as raising investment, growth plans, and establishing operations in different states, as well as the tax and compliance requirements they may face in the future. We provide guidance at critical strategic decision points such as selecting the company type, determining the right state, and structuring the partnership model.”

Information Pollution, Misguidance, and Failure to Structure the Right Company Setup!

Addressing the challenges experienced in accounting services in the United States, Manay CPA CEO Manay stated the following: “One of the biggest challenges is information pollution and misguidance. When individuals and companies newly entering the U.S. market do not work with the right experts, the process can become much more difficult and risky than it needs to be. Another critical issue is the failure to structure the correct company setup from the very beginning. When the company type, state selection, and partnership structure are not planned correctly, tax liabilities that should never have arisen can emerge.

In the U.S. tax system, the role of the IRS and the accuracy of filings are extremely decisive; even a seemingly small mistake can grow over time and affect commercial operations, cash flow, and the company’s administrative processes. As Manay CPA, our approach is clear; while our clients focus on their own businesses, we make doing business in the United States more predictable, sustainable, and easier for them by managing the processes in the background.”

Offering some advice to companies, Manay CPA CEO Burcu Manay said, “Doing business in the U.S. should not be viewed as limited to incorporation. What determines success is establishing the right structure and a sustainable compliance infrastructure from day one. Secondly, accounting and tax processes should not be postponed with a ‘we’ll fix it later’ approach. In the U.S., submitting filings on time and accurately directly affects a company’s good standing, financial visibility, and growth capacity in terms of IRS and state regulations. Finally, working with the right business partner makes a significant difference.”

“We Position MENA as an Important Bridge for Entering the U.S.”

Manay CPA CEO Burcu Bree Manay shared the following information regarding their goals in the MENA region: “The MENA region is a high-potential market with strategic priority for Manay CPA. The rapid growth of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the increase in cross-border trade, and the intensification of global investment mobility make the need to do business with the United States more visible every day. For this reason, we position MENA not only as a market, but as an important bridge for businesses that want to expand into the U.S. Today, we have a broad client portfolio in MENA, ranging from startups to e-commerce brands and expats in need of individual advisory services.”

Speaking about trend strategies in the sector, Manay CPA CEO stated, “The most prominent trend is the transformation of accounting and tax from ‘backward-looking reporting’ into a decision-making infrastructure that drives growth. Companies no longer expect this only once a year during the filing period; they now seek real-time visibility, predictability, and proactive tax planning throughout the year. The second trend is that, together with globalizing business models, the focus on ‘correct structuring + compliance’ has become an integral part of growth.

Especially in e-commerce and startups, when issues such as company type, state selection, partnership structure, sales tax, and payroll are not structured correctly from the outset, they can create serious costs and risks at the scaling stage. As Manay CPA, we support this transformation through a cloud-based, paperless working model, standardized process management, and an end-to-end service approach with expert teams.”

The Future of Manay CPA: A Leaner, Smarter, and More Human-Centered Structure

“As Manay CPA, we are building the future of our services on a leaner, smarter, and more human-centered structure. Our 2026 focus is very clear: while reducing operational complexity, to standardize quality by using technology more effectively and to deliver a consistent experience to the client at every touchpoint,” said Manay CPA CEO, pointing to three main pillars in this direction:

Simplified and measurable processes: We eliminate unnecessary steps and strengthen standards. Our goal is to establish an operational structure that does not leave quality to chance, has high cross-team applicability, and delivers measurable performance.
Digital-first & automation: We reduce manual workload by managing repetitive tasks through intelligent automation. In this way, our team can focus more on strategic work that creates real value for clients.
Consistent customer experience and trust: For us, the issue is not only service delivery, but building trust. Therefore, we further strengthen proactive communication, transparency, and a culture of ownership. Anticipating issues before they grow, sharing the process openly, and taking responsibility for the outcome form the basis of our approach.

“Artificial Intelligence Is Not a Showcase Technology, but an Operational Lever”

Stating that they position artificial intelligence not as a showcase technology but as an operational lever that enhances service quality and speed, Manay said, “Our strategy is clear: automate repetitive tasks, detect risks early, and allocate our experts’ time to high-value advisory work. We advance this approach across three layers: efficiency and automation, quality and compliance, and customer experience. Our top priority is security and privacy; data security, access authorizations, and process control are our fundamental standards.”

What Awaits E-Commerce Companies That Want to Enter the U.S.?

Finally, Burcu Bree Manay, Co-Founder and CEO of Manay CPA, offered some advice to e-commerce companies: “For e-commerce companies, the most critical step is to start with the right foundation. Making decisions based on the real needs of the business rather than gravitating toward popular states yields much healthier results. The second key issue is compliance processes. Because e-commerce businesses grow rapidly, accounting order, sales tax obligations, employee/payroll processes, and tax filing calendars can easily be overlooked; especially in newly established companies, delaying or failing to submit filings with the thought of ‘we are still small’ is a common mistake, yet in the U.S. system such deficiencies directly lead to penalties and interest.

In addition, they can critically affect the company’s commercial status, good standing, and banking/payment infrastructures. Another trend that has recently become more prominent in this area is physical office/business address requirements; stricter address verifications and expectations of real presence may come into play. E-commerce companies need to structure address/presence requirements, registration order, and compliance processes correctly from start to finish. The right structure, the right state, and disciplined compliance form the strongest trio for sustainable growth in the United States.”