16:29, today
LakLak, Tajikistan’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, today offers more than 50,000 products across categories ranging from home goods and electronics to women’s and children’s items. Soon, the platform plans to launch a fresh section with groceries and ready-to-eat meals, as well as onboard international brands.
The founder of LakLak, Iftikhor Yusufi, shared the story of the company’s creation and growth in an interview with Asia-Plus.
From student to tech entrepreneur
At 27, Yusufi has already made his mark in Tajikistan’s digital economy. He studied international relations in China and oriental studies at the National University of Tajikistan. From a young age, he says, he was drawn to business and technology.
“I always wanted to try myself in entrepreneurship, and step by step I realized that e-commerce was my path,” he explained.
The first step was an Instagram store called Shohzoda.store, selling watches and accessories. While demand was high, the experience revealed major gaps in Tajikistan’s online shopping market: long delivery times, a lack of systematic service, and limited product choice.
“That’s when I realized Tajikistan needed a digital platform that could fix these problems and provide people with a reliable online service,” Yusufi said.
In 2023, this vision took shape as LakLak, which now operates nationwide.
How LakLak works
For customers, the process is straightforward: browse the app, choose a product, pay conveniently, and receive the order quickly. Delivery is supported by LakLak’s own fleet of 22 cars and 20 motorcycles, along with partnerships with postal offices and mobile operators. The company also operates a network of 160 smart lockers.
“Everything is designed to be as simple as possible: selection, payment, delivery,” Yusufi said.
Support for sellers
LakLak is open to both companies and individual entrepreneurs. The platform provides registration, warehousing, delivery, product promotion, and even its own LakLak Academy for sellers.
“This is especially important because the market is still forming, and many entrepreneurs need training and support,” Yusufi noted.
Expanding products and technology
LakLak currently offers over 50,000 items across categories including home goods, electronics, cosmetics, and food. The company is preparing to launch LakLak Fresh, a service for groceries and ready meals, while also planning to add international brands.
Behind the platform is a young but ambitious tech team. Seventeen local developers build the backend on Go, mobile apps on Flutter, AI assistants for buyers and sellers, a smart locker system, and a BNPL (buy now, pay later) service.
The company is also working on LakLak AI Station, a voice-controlled shopping device.
With a total staff of around 60 specialists in IT, marketing, logistics, and customer support, Yusufi says: “People are the main value of LakLak.”
Investment and scaling up
LakLak began as a self-funded project, later attracting outside investors. Today, the company is building a modern 30,000-square-meter warehouse and expanding its logistics to handle thousands of orders daily. A new funding round is being prepared to accelerate growth and introduce new services.
Future markets
While Tajikistan remains the company’s focus, LakLak has plans to expand into Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Within the country, two new directions are being developed: LakLak Fresh for food delivery and LakLak Fintech with financial services and installment payments.
“Our goal is to create a full ecosystem that brings together online shopping, delivery, and finance to make services more simple and accessible,” Yusufi explained.
Overcoming challenges
The early days were far from easy. Yusufi recalls starting with a 30-square-meter warehouse, minimal logistics, and limited resources. Sellers had to be trained from scratch, while buyers needed to develop trust in online shopping.
“Step by step, we built the system, expanded the team and infrastructure, and gained people’s trust. Those early struggles made LakLak what it is today,” he said.
