On November 8, Deputy PM/Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Jamshid Khodjaev received the founders of the Russian marketplace Wildberries - Vladislav and Tatyana Bakalchuk, the press service of the ministry said.
During the meeting, the Deputy PM pointed to a hike in demand in the e-commerce market, the volume of which in Uzbekistan is forecasted to reach $ 1 billion in 2022, "due to the affordable Internet and the base of active young users in Uzbekistan".
The parties reached an agreement to set up a full-fledged Wildberries logistics complex in Tashkent, as well as a one-stop distribution center for customs and certification authorities to simplify the procedures for registering goods. It will be used to sell finished Uzbek products through the marketplace.
The $130 million project vows to create 5,000 jobs created from the moment of its launch.
As expected, Uzbek manufacturers will supply textile products for trade in the marketplace worth over than $900 million, leather goods worth $121.5 million, building materials worth $172.2 million, household appliances worth $382.5 million at the first stage.
As part of the project, Wildberries will provide an opportunity for Uzbek businesses to register as sellers, hold online seminars in Uzbek and Russian for Uzbek manufacturers to learn how to work on an electronic platform and trade their goods.
In addition, Wildberries plans to launch a factory to create new Uzbek brands, where marketing research, market analysis and development of these brands will be carried out.
Wildberries, founded in Russia in 2004, is the largest online retailer of a universal format in the region. The marketplace announced plans to start working in Uzbekistan back in 2020, but the first pickup points opened in Tashkent only in February 2022.
