The new geopolitical realities, the lack of a developed local textile industry and the high volume of imports in the fashion sector in Kazakhstan make this Central Asian country an outstanding opportunity for the expansion of Catalan fashion brands. In this context, ACCIÓ and the Catalan Fashion Cluster MODACC have coordinated a business mission in Kazakhstan, specifically in the city of Almaty, the main cultural and creative metropolis of the country.
The main objective of the trade mission was to facilitate contact between the participating Catalan brands and the distributors and buyers of fashion chains in this country, where the young population, which is very interested in fashion, follows international trends and values European fashion brands positively. In this context, the participating companies - Bóboli, Escorpion, Lola Casademunt, Massana, Punto Blanco, Sita Murt, Yerse and Avet - have had the opportunity to hold some thirty meetings with distributors and buyers from the country's fashion chains. In addition, the Catalan brands took a retail tour of the main shopping centres in the city of Almaty - Sacks Fifth Avenue, Esentai Mall, Mega Centre, Luxus and Dostyk Plaza - which allowed them to get to know the local offer in order to identify specific opportunities for the internationalisation of Catalan fashion brands.
Kazakhstan, as a Eurasian nation, stands out as the largest territory in the region. With an area five times the size of France and a population of over 20 million, the country is distinguished by its remarkable diversity. This diversity is manifested in more than 120 different nationalities, making for an exceptionally rich and pluralistic social, cultural and linguistic reality.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has generated a strong inflow of Russian capital into the country, thus boosting the development of a number of fashion-related businesses, especially large retail outlets. In the years since the pandemic, the concept of multi-brand shops offering premium brands has emerged, and there has been a remarkable growth in online sales. The affluent population keeps a close eye on the latest fashion brands and shops mainly via Instagram.
Currently, Kazakhstan offers a growing market for Catalan brands. In fact, Spanish fashion exports to Kazakhstan have grown from 476 million euros to 1,499 million euros in 2022. Likewise, fashion sales through the internet have increased from 327 million euros in 2019 to 1,349 million euros in 2022. Therefore, Kazakhstan offers promising opportunities for Catalan brands in the fashion retail sector, especially for those that include accessories in their collections and those dedicated to children's fashion and footwear, as these are the three main categories in expansion in the Kazakh fashion market.
This mission has been co-organised by the Catalan Fashion Cluster (MODACC) and the Agency for the Competitiveness of Catalan Companies (ACCIÓ-Generalitat of Catalonia).