Recently, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) completed the first comprehensive study of micro-merchants in Bangladesh engaged in the retail sector, particularly in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). This study finds that almost 2 million people are involved in the micro-merchant retail sector in Bangladesh. While individually their businesses are small, together they transact more than $18,42 billion annually and interact with millions of customers every day. Yet they are an underserved cash-based group largely left out of modern digital payments and other financial services. A key conclusion of this research is the importance of digitization, credit and banking to suit micro-merchant needs

This infographics showcases the size and characteristics of a fast-growing retail micro-merchant segment in Bangladesh.