ALMATY, APRIL 26 2016, (The Conway Bulletin) — A chain of shops touting themselves as ‘$1 stores’ has opened up in Kazakhstan, one of the few retailers apparently prospering during an increasingly vicious economic downturn.

The stores, which operate under the Russian franchise Odna Tsena, carry a classic pared-back budget look and only sell products for 300 tenge (90 cents). Under the slogan “Buy without stress!”, they sell everything from washing up liquid and toilet rolls, to processed food and toys.

And they are busy. On a midweek trip to Odna Tsena, which means One Price, in Almaty, a Bulletin correspondent spoke to four shoppers. They were all women and all appreciated the shop’s discount value.

Nataliya said that she visited the shop almost weekly.

“There is a lot of choice, it’s very comfortable. I usually buy plates and dishes and some toys for my child,” she said. “Compared to other shops it is much better.”

This store opened in December 2015, in the middle of an economic storm which has forced a 50% devaluation of the tenge, pushed up inflation to levels not seen since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/9 and pressured cost-cutting companies to scrap thousands of jobs.

Across the world, discount stores have tended to prosper during the tougher times and Odna Tsena is bullish about its own prospects.

Botagoz Tlemisova, a director at Odna Tsena, said that the chain planned to open 50 more stores across Kazakhstan in the next three years.

“We’ve been operating for just a few months, but already we’ve seen the loyalty of our customers. Our research has shown that more than 50% of shoppers come back to our shops every two to three weeks,” she told media.

In the Almaty shop, Svetlana said she had popped in because she had heard about the knock-down prices.

“I am surprised that everything here has one price, and it is cheap. It is very relevant nowadays when prices are rising on everything,” she said. She also said she would return soon.

ENDS