"Tbilisi Central" director Levan Karalashvili says consumer spending decreased by around 10% in 2025. As he told BM.GE, the decline was driven by uncertainty, which caused people to cut back primarily on non-essential purchases.
According to Karalashvili, January and February are typically slow months, so no significant improvement is expected early this year. He notes that while 2023 and 2024 were strong years for retail - especially following the post-pandemic rebound - 2025 saw a noticeable drop in categories such as household appliances, clothing, and other non-food items.
“Consumer behavior has changed. In an environment of uncertainty, people focus more on essential goods like food rather than electronics or clothing. They are more cautious and tend to save,” he explained. He added that 2025 began particularly weak, with nearly a 25% decline in Q1, though the situation improved somewhat toward the end of the year.
