Online shopping in Uzbekistan is rising to a new level: Uzum Market data

Online shopping in Uzbekistan is entering a new stage: Uzum Market data

In October, Uzum Market turns four years old. During this period, e-commerce in Uzbekistan has expanded significantly: by the end of 2025, the market size reached nearly 23 trillion UZS, while the marketplace grew from 800 thousand orders in its first months to 50 million orders per year. Buyers are increasingly ordering furniture, clothing, and books online, with the highest growth observed in the southern regions and Karakalpakstan. However, the online market accounts for only 5–6% of retail trade, which means there is still significant potential for growth. Below, based on data from the country's largest marketplace, we discuss how the market is changing and what will determine its further development.

In the first years of Uzum Market's operation, Uzbekistanis mostly ordered everyday necessity products, ranging from vegetable oil and green peas to laundry detergent. The marketplace offered a wide range of goods even for residents of remote settlements. Online prices, especially during sales, were often lower than those in traditional stores. Thus, buyers gradually got used to the new method of shopping.

As trust grew, the assortment of goods in Uzbekistanis' shopping carts also expanded: the number of orders for electronics and household appliances, children's goods, and home items continues to rise. A key factor in the surge in demand for electronics and appliances was convenient installment plans via Uzum Nasiya, which can be issued right inside the marketplace app, as well as the expansion of the pick-up point network — each of these points features a table, cables, and batteries for testing electronics.

Today, buyers turn to Uzum Market not only for daily necessity goods, but also for larger purchases. In particular, compared to last year, the most noticeable growth was recorded in the furniture category — the number of orders almost grew by 2.5 times. Buyers are increasingly ordering large-sized furniture, as well as goods designed for furnishing rooms and homes. At the same time, bulky furniture is delivered directly to the home and, if necessary, assembled.

Books and clothing take second and third places in terms of growth rates — the number of orders in these categories doubled over the year. Finding a favorite book or choosing among thousands of items from various sellers and brands, ranging from budget to premium, has become even easier, while Uzbekistanis highly appreciated the broad assortment and the opportunity to try on clothing items before purchasing.

Changes in the structure of demand show that Uzum Market is becoming a platform not only for routine purchases, but also for selecting goods that many previously preferred to search for in physical stores and bazaars.

The increase in the number of orders requires a stronger logistics infrastructure. In 2024, Uzum Market launched the largest logistics complex in Central Asia. Now, the marketplace's infrastructure allows it to process over 550 thousand items per day and simultaneously store over 20 million units of goods. If necessary, the processing volume can be increased up to 700 thousand items per day.

To accelerate delivery to the regions, the company is developing a network of cross-docking facilities. Currently, nine such facilities operate in Samarkand, Fergana, Jizzakh, Karshi, Namangan, Navoi, Bukhara, Urgench, Andijan, and Termez. They speed up the movement of goods between regions and help sellers work with buyers across the entire country.

For buyers, the ability to pick up an order near their home is also important. For this reason, Uzum Market is consistently expanding its network of pick-up points: from 43 points at the end of 2022 to more than 2,500 points in October 2026. For comparison, at the end of 2023, the network consisted of 345 points, and at the end of 2024, it was 934. Over the past year, the number of locations increased by 2.2 times.

The franchise model launched by Uzum Market in March 2025 also serves to expand the network. It allows entrepreneurs to open their own pick-up points and grow their business alongside the marketplace.

The development of infrastructure goes hand in hand with an increase in online orders in the regions. Over the past year, their number grew fivefold in Kashkadarya region, fourfold in Surkhandarya, and threefold in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. These regions recorded the highest order growth rates. In Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions, birth rates are the highest in the country: with a national average of 23.2, here they stand at 27.5 and 27.1 per thousand people, respectively (according to 2025 data). The youthfulness of the population and the large size of families drive increased demand for children's products, clothing, and home goods. Online trade gives these regions access to an assortment that was previously available only in major cities.

Logistics development helps expand the assortment and attract new sellers. Today, there are over 2 million products on the Uzum Market platform, and including the Uzum Global service, the product range reaches 400 million items.

More than 18,500 local sellers offer their goods on Uzum Market. This means an even broader choice for buyers and an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to offer their products to residents of various regions. The company's team is also expanding: over the past year, the number of Uzum Market employees increased by 40%.

Despite the market's growth, according to estimates, e-commerce accounts for approximately 5–6% of retail trade in Uzbekistan. This creates an opportunity for further growth: as infrastructure develops and the assortment expands, online shopping can become more convenient for more buyers and entrepreneurs.

In 2026–2028, Uzum Market will continue to expand its logistics capabilities in Tashkent city and the regions. The company has already begun construction of a new sorting center and a specialized warehouse complex for bulky cargo. The project will allow for an increase in logistics capacity and create an additional 26 thousand pallet spaces for large-sized goods. This will help process more orders for furniture, household appliances, and other goods requiring special storage and transportation conditions. The expansion of infrastructure will help Uzum Market handle growing demand, increase the variety of goods, and help entrepreneurs find buyers in different regions of the country.

While the share of online purchases in retail trade stands at 5–6%, the market is essentially just passing its first stage. Further growth will depend on three factors: the development of logistics in the regions, buyers' trust in making expensive purchases online, and how quickly small businesses adopt this new sales channel.