Gazeta.uz spoke with a CMWP expert in commercial real estate and with vendors to understand what an eco-bazaar is in global practice and whether this concept is applied in Uzbekistan.

In November, the project for the construction of a shopping center, hotel, and eco-bazaar on the site of the capital's "Askiya" market was presented at the Yakkasaray district khokimiyat of Tashkent. The tender for the territory was won by the Chinese company Sheng Ke-International, which offered 225.59 billion soums. An eco-market is also planned to be built on the site of the Yunusabad market. The project was previously presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The khokim of Yakkasaray district, Nilufar Allabergenova, noted that the "Askiya" market, in its current state, does not meet modern requirements: the open layout of the trading rows creates inconvenience for visitors in bad weather, and there are also problems with parking and transport accessibility.

 


Does this mean that an eco-bazaar is an indoor market with no transport issues? Gazeta.uz tried to clarify the terminology.

 

Amal Khaitov, a consultant at CMWP Uzbekistan, a commercial real estate company, told Gazeta.uz that the international equivalent of an eco-bazaar is a fresh market.

"An eco-bazaar is a modern retail format where fresh, natural, and environmentally friendly products are sold. This format has appeared in Tashkent relatively recently and combines features of a traditional market with elements of a supermarket," said Amal Khaitov.

 

The first Eco-Bazaar was opened in 2018 on the site of the former tram depot in the Mirzo-Ulugbek district, the second — in 2022 near the Beruni metro station in Shaykhantakhur district. In August 2024, a branch opened in the Yangikhayot district.

 

According to Amal Khaitov, the key difference between an eco-bazaar and a traditional market is the product quality control; all goods have the necessary certificates.

Vendors at the Shaykhantakhur eco-bazaar told Gazeta.uz that the Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise Laboratory checks not only the quality of products daily but also the condition of stalls, refrigerators, and equipment.

 

 

The checks are carried out within the framework of the president's resolution on healthy nutrition for the population, the Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Committee (SES) explained to Gazeta.uz. This document tasks the SES, the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection, and the "Uzstandart" agency with regularly checking compliance with labeling rules through "control purchases."

The SES clarified that checks are conducted every Friday. However, they cover not only eco-bazaars but also other retail outlets.

According to Amal Khaitov, the concept of eco-bazaars also includes a different level of service, including adherence to sanitary standards, maintaining cleanliness, and the availability of organized storage facilities for retail point tenants.

 

"The difference between an eco-bazaar and a supermarket is that it offers products directly from farmers and agricultural producers, while supermarkets source goods through distributors and sell them under the manufacturer's or their own brand," the expert added.

 

One of the vendors at the eco-bazaar near the Beruni metro station said that he buys vegetables from wholesalers and sells them at retail. "Everyone does it here," he said. Another vendor noted that the situation is similar in traditional markets: "My pickles are homemade. The butchers opposite also have their own products. There are also those who simply resell products bought from intermediaries."

A vendor from the dairy department said that she sells her own milk, cottage cheese, and kaymak. However, to diversify her assortment, she buys cheeses and pasteurized milk.

Amal Khaitov believes that eco-bazaars also differ from traditional markets in their spatial organization. At eco-bazaars, zoning is designed with customer convenience in mind. The design and layout of retail points contribute to an orderly process and ease of shopping.

The Tashkent city administration did not specify to Gazeta.uz what the city administration means by the term "eco-bazaar."

We remind you that in 2020, it was planned to build three eco-bazaars on the basis of the "Sergeli," "Aviyazozlar," and "Karakamish" markets, but the project was not implemented.


Source: Gazeta.uz 

Photo: Yandex.Maps