The Central Asia Fashion Spring 2025 international exhibition has concluded at the Atakent International Exhibition Centre in Almaty. Kursiv LifeStyle shares experts’ insights on the industry’s current state and future prospects.
The future of shopping centers
Considerable attention has been paid to the development of shopping centers. According to Dmitry Revin, chairman of the Kazakhstan Union of Retail Property Developers, future malls will evolve from points of sale into centers offering diverse leisure experiences.
«A future mall is not just a row of shopping stalls but rather a lifestyle hub, where people come not only to shop but also to seek experiences, socialize and enjoy comfortable leisure,» Revin said.
He believes that in today’s era of advanced consumerism, malls could become a central part of life for Kazakhstanis.
«Malls will become the centers of our lives. They will form a symbiosis of shopping areas, leisure, entertainment and work zones, utilizing human-technology interaction,» he elaborated.
For instance, in the U.S., shopping centers are already changing, following a different trend. Driven by the housing crisis, private apartments are replacing retail shops.
Why Kazakhstani brands remain weak in the market
Disappointing findings were revealed during the event attended by more than 7,000 buyers from Kazakhstan and retailers from 12 countries. Experts said that the fashion retail in Kazakhstan is not as developed as desired. Leila Kaimoldanova, a brand strategist, shared some figures.
«There aren’t many fashion brands in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstani brands hold a market share of roughly 3.5% within the total volume of fashion retail,» she said.
Additionally, Kazakhstani garment suppliers often lack authenticity, despite many trying to incorporate national patterns and elements of cultural identity into their clothing.
«The main trend in both the Kazakhstani and international markets is cultural integration, where brands discover their national identity and create original products rather than copying well-known ones. However, such instances are still rare in our country. The majority of brand founders still subconsciously copy from Italy or Turkey,» Kaimoldanova noted.
