Retailing

2022 saw the fuller return of consumers to offline shopping in Azerbaijan. Following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdowns and restrictions, local consumers prioritised store-based outlets in 2022, and visited shopping malls…

In spite of high inflation caused by the war in nearby Ukraine and ensuing economic uncertainty, non-grocery retailers registered a slight increase in constant value sales in 2022. The return of foot traffic, post pandemic lockdowns, helped…

In 2022, rising inflation rates and the increasing cost of living had a significant impact on spending in non-grocery retail, in constant terms. The channels that were most affected were home improvement stores, followed by apparel and footwear…

Bazaars remain a favourite shopping channel for non-grocery products. Low-income shoppers, tourists, and anyone looking for a wide variety of items that they can negotiate prices on all frequently turn to bazaars. The abundance of products and the…

In 2022 e-commerce penetration in Azerbaijan remained low though the channel continued to enjoy rapid and robust growth, gaining significant value share. Some consumers switched to purchasing groceries via e-commerce during the pandemic. However,…

E-commerce continued to grow but at a slower rate, partly due to the geopolitical situation. The war in Ukraine has resulted in supply chain disruptions, higher transportation tariffs and high inflation also higher prices for imports, due to currency…

Clicky, a fast-fashion e-commerce platform focused on apparel, footwear and accessories, has received investments from notable investors such as Fatima Ventures and Souq, a UAE-based company that was later acquired by Amazon. In December 2021, the…

In 2022, retail e-commerce continued to gain significant value share in Uzbekistan. However, its penetration level still lagged behind neighbouring countries such as Kazakhstan. Several factors hindered the further development of retail e-commerce in…

Following the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused oil prices to collapse in 2020 and annual real GDP to contract by 4.2% in 2020, the Azerbaijani economy rebounded strongly and grew by 5.6% in annual real terms in 2021. This is partly…

Retail generated positive growth in 2022 despite high inflation and pressure on consumer spending. Higher levels of investment from key players boosted chained grocery retailing and e-commerce as consumers become more accustomed to more modern and…