Georgian consumers spent GEL 3.8 billion on retail purchases abroad in 2025, both during travel and through online shopping, - according to Galt & Taggart’s latest “Tbilisi Retail Real Estate” report.
The figure shows rapid annual growth, rising from GEL 2.2 billion in 2023, to GEL 2.9 billion in 2024, and reaching its current high in 2025. The spending was evenly split between physical shopping and e-commerce, at GEL 1.9 billion each.
Clothing and accessories accounted for the largest share of foreign purchases at 36%, followed by home care (17%), electronics (12%), personal care (6%), and other categories (29%). Of the roughly GEL 1.4 billion spent on clothing abroad, 49% went to luxury brands, underscoring a strong appetite for high-end fashion among Georgian shoppers.
However, the domestic market significantly under-serves this demand. In Tbilisi’s leading malls, only 2% of the 100,000 m² of leased clothing retail space is occupied by luxury brands. Central shopping streets perform better, with luxury retailers taking 28% of the 32,000 m² allocated for apparel, but a considerable supply gap still remains.
The spending breakdown for 2025 highlights this mismatch: abroad, purchases were heavily skewed toward luxury (49%), while affordable and mid-range brands dominate local retail space. Shopping malls remain primarily budget- and mid-range driven (58% and 32%, respectively), leaving Georgia’s luxury retail segment far behind consumer demand.
