A new supermarket called «Gastronom» has opened in Astana. Its distinctive feature is that it primarily sells food products made outside of Kazakhstan, although it also runs an in-house deli section. Despite offering interesting products rarely found in the country, its launch drew rather negative comments online.
The store’s shelves are filled with a wide range of products imported from Europe, Asia and the U.S. Offerings include rare sweets, cereals, gluten-free products, plant-based milk, sugar-free items and unique sauces and syrups.
Customers can also find exotic fruits and vegetables from various countries, as the store appears to prioritize «rare» products not typically found in standard supermarkets.
However, not everyone was happy with the new grocery store’s business strategy. While some welcomed the foreign food, other Astana residents said they would prefer to see locally produced food at affordable prices.
«We should be producing our own; local products are both healthier and tastier,»
«People come to Kazakhstan to eat real vegetables and fruit. We need to support our own farmers,»
«Kazakhstan-made pasta is a hundred times better,»
«It would’ve been better if they had opened a farm with cows, sheep and so on. Meat is insanely expensive these days,» users wrote on social media.
Furthermore, users also pointed out that imported food is quite pricey, questioning whether such expensive imported products would be affordable, or even necessary, for ordinary people in Kazakhstan.
