Kazakhstan's e-commerce market is growing rapidly: according to GlobalData forecasts, the volume of online trade will reach 2.8 trillion tenge in 2026. Marketplaces — Wildberries, Ozon, Kaspi — are building their own fulfillment centers totalling 291,000 m². But those are the giants' centers. What does a medium-sized online store or regional 3PL operator in Almaty need — and how should a space be properly built or adapted for fulfillment?
2.8 trillion ₸
Kazakhstan's e-commerce market by 2026
GlobalData forecast — one of the fastest-growing markets in Central Asia
291,000 m²
being built by Ozon and Wildberries in Kazakhstan
3 fulfillment centers in Astana and Almaty — confirming major business commitment to Kazakhstan
5,000 m²
Ozon's fulfillment center in Almaty
already operating; Astana — 38,000 m². Scaling to match market growth
from 65,000 ₸/m²
fulfillment center construction in Almaty
heated warehouse turnkey with MEP — land excluded, with seismic reinforcement
Why Almaty is Kazakhstan's main e-commerce logistics hub
Almaty accounts for around 40% of the country's consumer market and serves as the gateway to Central Asia. For e-commerce this means:
- The densest courier network: DPD Kazakhstan, CDEK, Kazpost, Yandex Delivery, Kolesa Express
- Proximity to Khorgos (Kazakhstan–China border crossing, 265 km): direct product imports without transshipment
- International airport with a cargo terminal: air freight for urgent goods
- Largest concentration of IT talent: WMS specialists, sorting line operators
That is precisely why Ozon opened its first Kazakhstani fulfillment center in Almaty, not Astana.
What is a fulfillment center and how does it differ from an ordinary warehouse?
An ordinary warehouse stores goods. A fulfillment center receives, stores, picks, packs, and ships orders. These are fundamentally different building requirements:
| Parameter | Ordinary warehouse | Fulfillment center |
|---|---|---|
| Clear height | 6–8 m | 8–12 m (for mezzanines) |
| Floor load | 3–5 t/m² | 5–8 t/m² (racking + conveyors) |
| Electricity | 50–100 kW | 200–500 kW (conveyors, sorting, ACS) |
| Temperature | any | +15…+22°C (comfort for operators + storage) |
| Zoning | flexible | strict: intake / storage / packing / dispatch |
| Loading docks | 1–2 | 3–6+ docks with levellers |
| CCTV / access control | desirable | mandatory (inventory control) |
Building requirements for fulfillment in Almaty
Height and structure
Minimum clear height for a mezzanine storage system — 8 m below the bottom of load-bearing members. The standard for modern facilities is 10–12 m. In Almaty this means a heavier steel frame due to seismics: connections must be designed with a margin for dynamic loads.
Floor for fulfillment
- Racking load: shelving systems with 4–6 tiers produce 5–8 t/m² at the leg point
- Floor flatness: FM2 or FM1 (tolerance ±3 mm over 3 m) — critical for high-bay racking and automation
- Surface: polymer coating or dry-shake hardener — no dust, withstands intensive traffic
In Almaty: expansion joints in the concrete slab are more frequent (6×6 m grid) due to seismics — this is standard practice.
Electrical supply
A fulfillment center consumes 3–5 times more electricity than an ordinary warehouse. For a 2,000 m² center — budget 300–500 kW of allocated capacity:
| Consumer | Capacity |
|---|---|
| LED lighting (1.5 W/m²) | 3 kW |
| Sorting conveyor (1 line) | 15–30 kW |
| Forklift charging stations | 40–80 kW |
| Label printers, PCs, server room | 20–40 kW |
| Climate control | 60–120 kW |
| Reserve | 50–100 kW |
Important for Almaty: a connection application to the substation in the Alatau district or Turksib industrial zone for 300+ kW requires technical conditions from Almatyenergosbyт, with an approval timeline of 2–4 months.
Fulfillment center zoning
For a center of 2,000–3,000 m², standard zoning:
| Zone | Share of area | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving zone | 10–15% | Unloading, inspection, labelling |
| Storage zone | 45–55% | Shelving racking, cells |
| Picking zone | 10–15% | Order assembly from pick lists |
| Packing zone | 10% | Packing tables, heat-shrink, stretch wrap |
| Dispatch zone | 10–15% | Accumulation, route sorting, docks |
| Service areas | 5–8% | Office, toilets, changing rooms |
Mezzanine: double the floor area without expanding the footprint
Specialist zones for product categories
Temperature control
Most e-commerce goods are stored at +15…+22°C. But online stores handling food, cosmetics, or pharmaceuticals require separate temperature zones:
| Product category | Temperature | Building requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing, electronics, kitchenware | +15…+22°C | Standard heated warehouse |
| Food products (non-perishable) | +5…+15°C | Additional cooling |
| Cosmetics, household chemicals | +5…+25°C | Humidity control |
| Frozen foods | −18…−25°C | Refrigeration equipment, 200+ mm panels |
Hazardous goods zone (flammable liquids, aerosols)
If the product range includes lacquers, paints, aerosols, or alcohol — Kazakhstan regulations (MES Technical Regulation No. 405) require a separate section with explosion-proof electrical, ventilation, and a dedicated emergency exit.
Construction cost of a fulfillment center in Almaty
| Option | Area | Construction cost | Cost with land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (startup / 3PL outsourcing) | 500 m² | 55–70 million ₸ | 110–160 million ₸ |
| Medium (1,000–3,000 orders/day) | 1,500 m² | 150–200 million ₸ | 300–420 million ₸ |
| Large (3,000–10,000 orders/day) | 5,000 m² | 450–600 million ₸ | 800 million – 1.2 billion ₸ |
Prices include steel frame with seismic reinforcement, sandwich panels, FM2 industrial floor, MEP, doors with dock levellers. Land — Alatau district.
Lease vs build a fulfillment center
Given the current market vacancy of 15.1%, leasing a ready warehouse for fulfillment has become more accessible:
| Criterion | Lease | Build |
|---|---|---|
| Start-up cost | Deposit 2–3 months (~24–42 million ₸ for 2,000 m²) | 150–200+ million ₸ |
| Customisation | Limited | Full |
| Clear height | Depends on property (often only 6 m) | Can specify 10–12 m |
| Electrical capacity | Limited (50–100 kW is common) | Engineered to requirements |
| Asset | No | On the balance sheet |
| Launch timeline | 2–4 weeks | 5–8 months |
Recommendation: for a startup — begin by leasing on the Kapshagai highway (3,500 ₸/m²/month, ex VAT). When order volumes exceed 1,000 orders/day and the horizon extends to 3+ years — build your own with the optimal engineering.
We will design a fulfillment center for your e-commerce project in Almaty
StroyHub engineers will develop the optimal zoning, calculate loads, and provide an estimate within 24 hours.