Overview of Grocery Retail Transformation in Uzbekistan

In 2024, our company conducted a retail census in five cities across Uzbekistan. This overview highlights the general trends observed in three of them: Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara.

Uzbekistan’s grocery retail market demonstrates steady development and a clear shift toward organized trade. Compared to 2020, the number of organized retail outlets has increased in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara, while the traditional trade (TT) channel has declined. Overall, across the three cities, the reduction in TT amounted to approximately 2%, with the most significant decline observed in Tashkent.
Kiosks maintain a stable but limited presence.

Market by City

Tashkent

Tashkent remains the clear leader in retail transformation. The share of modern format stores has grown significantly, primarily driven by the expansion of retail chains.

– 68% of modern trade (MT) outlets are part of retail chains, while 32% are stand-alone stores.

-Modern trade now accounts for approximately 26% of the market, compared to about 8% in 2020.

-The leading chains by store count – Havas, Olma, and Korzinka – together account for over 76% of all key accounts (KA).

This structure reflects a high level of market concentration and suggests continued consolidation of retail networks in the future.

Samarkand

Samarkand has also seen growth in the number of MT outlets, though the scale of change is more moderate. Traditional trade still holds a substantial share, indicating a slower shift toward modern retail formats.

Bukhara

Bukhara shows one of the most dynamic growth rates in MT among the regions. The TT channel is declining, giving way to organized trade. Kiosks continue to function as a complementary retail channel.

General Trends

The data clearly shows that retail modernization is a steady trend, with the modern trade (MT) channel growing across all cities:

-The number of modern trade outlets has grown across all three cities.

-Traditional trade remains the dominant format but continues to lose share.

-Kiosks maintain a consistent yet marginal share in the retail landscape.

Transformation of the Food Retail Sector in Bishkek (CENSUS 2024)

Based on data from the 2024 Retail Census conducted by GAMMA.