Arbuz.kz, Kazakhstan’s leading e-grocery service, has announced a strategic shift to reach the mass market. The company now aims to compete not only for premium customers but also for price-conscious shoppers.
The announcement was made by Alexey Lee, head of lifestyle at Freedom Holding Corp., during a meeting of the Freedom Lifestyle Talk discussion club.
According to Lee, Arbuz.kz has recently adjusted its prices to align not only with online competitors but also with major brick-and-mortar chains.
«We monitored key supermarkets and made sure our base prices matched in-store prices. And if you factor in cashback of up to 25%, our products are about a quarter cheaper,» Lee said.
Notably, Arbuz.kz was one of the first players in Kazakhstan’s e-grocery market, initially targeting premium customers. The pandemic gave a strong boost to the entire grocery delivery sector, but with rising competition, the company decided to revise its approach.
«While we previously positioned ourselves as a mid-range and premium service, our current strategy focuses on the mass market — the most active audience,» Lee said. «The premium category will remain, but our product range now includes mid-range and budget-priced items.»
Lee added that Arbuz.kz’s success is driven not only by its pricing and product mix but also by its service quality.
«Customers tell us we have the friendliest couriers,» he said. «We’re growing every day — and this is just the beginning of the surge in demand we expect.»
Lee stressed that Arbuz.kz was able to introduce its new strategy and lower prices thanks to becoming part of Freedom Holding Corp. Timur Turlov, CEO and majority shareholder of the company, has repeatedly said the era of stand-alone businesses is over and the era of ecosystems has begun.
Since joining Freedom Holding Corp., Arbuz.kz’s turnover has grown by 80%. As of Nov. 1, 2025, the company’s turnover reached 19 billion tenge (about $36 million). From January through October, Arbuz.kz processed more than 1 million orders. By the company’s own estimates, its share of Kazakhstan’s e-grocery market has reached 11%.
