E-Commerce in Kazakhstan Grows Sevenfold Over the Last Five Years

Kazakhstan’s Minister of National Economy, Serik Zhumangarin, commented on the state of e-commerce in the country in response to a parliamentary question. Describing the future of e-commerce in Kazakhstan as “promising,” Zhumangarin stated that the e-commerce volume had reached 3.2 trillion tenge (approximately $6.2 billion).

This figure represents 14.1% of the country’s total trade volume. In 2020, e-commerce in Kazakhstan amounted to 476 billion tenge (around $918 million). These figures indicate a sevenfold increase in e-commerce volume over five years.

Deputy Zhaiymbetov noted that due to concerns over online fraud and a general lack of trust, most consumers still prefer physical stores. Despite the convenience and advantages of online shopping, this trend continues, he said.

Kazakhstan Hosts 104 Online Marketplaces

According to Zhumangarin, there are currently 104 online marketplaces operating in Kazakhstan. These include platforms such as Kaspi.kz, Wildberries, Ozon, and Halyk Market.

The minister also highlighted that the growing number of warehouse constructions is a sign of rising interest in e-commerce. Kazpost is building warehouses covering a total area of up to 85,000 square meters in the cities of Almaty and Aktobe, as well as in the Almaty and Turkistan regions.

Wildberries currently operates eight logistics centers with a total area of 44,000 square meters. Additionally, new logistics spaces covering 271,000 square meters are under construction in Almaty and Astana. Ozon, on the other hand, has two distribution centers totaling 42,000 square meters in Almaty and Astana and is building a third 20,000-square-meter facility in Almaty.