Shopping in Kazakhstan - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Shopping in Kazakhstan is mostly concentrated in two capitals, the former capital city of Almaty and the current capital of Nur-Sultan. Of course, there are shops in other cities, but there are not many of them. If you visit local shopping centers, you will surely find such popular brands as New Yorker, Bershka, Mango, Nike, and Zara. Prices in local shops are not very high for mass market brands. Tourists wishing to buy something authentic and ethnic will hardly find something suitable in these shops. It is better to visit souvenir shops for this purpose. Local souvenir shops usually offer elements of the national outfits, tubeteika, felt slippers, and more. The same items will be a bit cheaper in local markets. Bazaars are also a great place to shop for natural dairy products and baked goods.

Many residents of Kazakhstan from smaller towns prefer to visit Nur-Sultan for shopping purposes. This is particularly true about shopping for clothing. There is nothing strange in this. Even in outskirts of Nur-Sultan, leave alone small settlements, it is not rare to see replicas in shops and markets. In order not to buy fakes, it is better to refrain from shopping for branded items in unofficial shops. The chance of buying a fake is very high in this case. All brands are sold only in shops, the addresses of which are mentioned on the official website. Official discounters are one more category of shops that sell authentic goods. Small basement shops and street outlets almost always sell counterfeit goods.

In Nur-Sultan, MEGA Silk Way and Khan Shatyr are the most popular destinations for shopaholics. These shopping centers offer sales approximately at the same time as in Europe – two times a year. January and February are the time for the winter sale, and the summer sale can last almost the whole summer. Many shops have special promotions for national holidays, such as Independence Day, Christmas, and Nowruz. Not everyone knows that sales usually have three stages. At the start, the discount is only 15%, and then the same item is offered with a discount of 50%. Only during the last third stage discounts can be up to 90%. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The majority of large stores are open from 9 am to 10 pm on weekdays. These shops do not have a lunch break. Smaller shops can be open on weekdays only from 10 am to 8 pm. On Saturdays, small shops usually have shorter work hours or can be closer. Sunday is traditionally a day off. Markets usually do not have specified work hours. Merchants can define their working hours themselves. Even if the market is officially open from 8 am to 10 pm, this doesn’t prevent busy sellers from closing their shops whenever they need.

As it was mentioned earlier, do not buy “branded items” at local markets. That is almost always a fake. Bazaars often many traditional items, but be prepared to hear the price that is a lot higher than the real price of an item. The thing is sellers usually easily recognize tourists and try to make more profit by selling high. Bargaining is a good idea, but tourists shouldn’t expect high discounts. Female travelers are likely to get higher discounts as most sellers are men. However, the best way to purchase authentic national clothes is to go to the countryside and buy directly from masters.

A small copy of the Bayterek Tower is a popular souvenir that travelers enjoy buying in Kazakhstan. The image of the famous tower in Nur-Sultan is often added to key chains and postcards. Small models of the tower are not expensive and are available in virtually every souvenir shop. Do you prefer something more practical? If so, felt slippers are a wonderful gift to friends and family members. Warm slippers made from natural material are great in keeping heat, so they will keep your feet warm at home in the evening. The unusual ethnic design is one more advantage.

Tubeteika cap is a traditional hat in Central Asia. Foreigners are unlikely to be able to wear it because Tubeteika looks very ethnic and doesn’t really match a business outfit or everyday clothes. However, it is still a nice gift to friends or a memorable item that will remind of Kazakhstan. Quite often, Tubeteika caps have names of Kazakh cities or simply a word “Kazakhstan”. Chapan is a more expensive gift. It is a caftan that is worn on top of other clothing. Chapan is traditional festive clothing for both men and women. As a rule, it is made from camel hair.

Connoisseurs of quality alcohol may be interested in local cognacs. The most popular brands of this drink are the following: Zhenis, Al-Farabi, Kazakhstan, and Vinjak. The spirit usually has an attractive package that makes it a perfect gift. Moreover, local cognac is not expensive, unlike the next iconic item that travelers can bring from Kazakhstan – Kazakh Tables (backgammon). The board game is usually decorated with national motifs. Kazakh Tables is very similar to the traditional backgammon. Silverware in the national style never ceases to attract numerous tourists. Vacationers can find them in every jewelry shop. Consider buying leather goods as well. Besides trivial purses, bags, and belts, it is possible to buy Torsyk – a leather vessel made for storing kumis drink or water.