ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s retail e-commerce market reached a new historical high of 3.4 billion tenge (US$6 billion) in 2024, a 42% increase over 2023, according to a new study by Strategy&, part of the PwC global network of firms, released on July 10.
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Kazakhstan’s e-commerce growth is the result of simultaneous development in infrastructure, technology, and consumer behavior, said PwC Partner leading the strategy and advisory practice in the Eurasia region, Natalya Lim, in a commentary accompanying the report.
“On one hand, the expansion of the payment ecosystem played a major role. The widespread adoption of cashless payments, the introduction of user-friendly mobile apps, and simplified payment mechanisms made online shopping accessible to a wide audience — especially the young, digitally active population, for whom online is the norm,” said Lim.
“On the other hand, logistics has significantly improved: enhanced delivery networks, new pickup points, and automated sorting have accelerated delivery, including cross-border, and increased reliability, especially in urban areas. This has boosted consumer trust and reduced barriers to choosing online channels,” she said.
Key contributing factors also included a high internet penetration rate at 93% and the ongoing digitalization of everyday processes, creating favorable conditions for e-commerce growth.
“The active use of smartphones, social media, and online services has fostered habits of interacting with products and brands in digital environments. Online shopping is increasingly seen as a convenient, fast alternative to traditional retail,” said Lim.
The total number of online purchases reached 162 million, 87% higher than the previous year. Starting from the third quarter, the growth rate of transactions began to outpace the growth in monetary terms. Against this backdrop, the average purchase amount declined to 21,200 tenge (US$40), which is 24% lower than in 2023.
“A defining trend in recent years is not only the increase in transactions, but also a transformation in consumer behavior: there is a growing share of frequent, low-value purchases, indicating that e-commerce is becoming an integral part of everyday life for a broad population. At the same time, major marketplaces continue to strengthen their role, setting standards in logistics, payments, and user experience,” said Lim.
Marketplaces continue to hold a strong position in the online sales structure. By the end of 2024, they accounted for 91% of total retail e-commerce volume. A significant factor in strengthening their position was the development of cross-border trade, which expanded product variety and improved access to goods across various price categories for a wide audience.
Additional growth was fueled by dynamic pricing strategies, including seasonal discounts, targeted promotions, and personalized loyalty programs, tactics that not only drove consumer engagement but also significantly boosted repeat purchases.
A key challenge for e-commerce growth lies in keeping pace with increasingly informed and detail-conscious consumers, says Lim. This shift pushes the industry towards greater transparency, faster delivery, and a move away from rapid expansion toward more sustainable development.
“Growth in online sales must be accompanied by continued investment in logistics, process automation, IT reliability, and service accessibility beyond major cities. Without this, scaling e-commerce could come at the cost of quality,” she said.
“From a technological standpoint, a major growth area is the implementation of AI solutions to enhance operational efficiency. Applications include customer analytics, inventory management, logistics, communications, customer support, and product content management,” said Lim.
