Azerbaijan, Baku, November 10 / Trend, A. Akhundov /
The Azerbaijani retail trade market is of interest to both the domestic or foreign investors, Andrei Kalmykov, head of project of Səbət, an Azerbaijani trading network, reported.
"This market is only at the beginning of the professional retail trade progression and there is a great potential of buyers. This leads me to conclude that the Azerbaijani retail trade market has great potential and is attractive for investors," Mr Kalmykov told reporters.
He said development of this market is not helped by the absence of a retail school, particularly management in this field, as well as the minimum input of foreign capital and insufficiently developed suppliers' network.
"We'd like suppliers to be stronger as supply volumes are insignificant. Sometimes, there is a deficit of food provisions due to a two week action," Kalmykov said.
Retail market sales of food and clothes are comparatively well developed in the country, he noted.
"Azerbaijan is a market of healthy, tasty foods with milk and meat products in demand here. Fashion retail has also developed very well," Mr Kalmykov noted.
However, there are no discounts, hypermarkets, or fine format supermarkets in the country, he added.
"There are a small number of sales networks of sportswear and sport appliances, books and household electronic appliances, but there are neither delicatessen or do it yourself shops. Trade networks are only at the beginning of their creation and Baku needs 30 such trading centres such as Park Bulvar, each having the service capacity for 100,000 people," Mr Kalmykov said.
Trading network Səbət is owned by Azeri Retail. Azeri Retail MMC and was founded by Austria's Azeri Trade Holding GmbH.