Parents across Azerbaijan are increasingly alarmed by the soaring price of children’s clothing. Shirts, pants, jackets – and especially shoes – in major retail chains now cost nearly as much as adult apparel, forcing many families to rethink their monthly budgets.
“Prices have become unrealistically high,” one shopper told local reporters. “Children grow out of clothes so quickly – even a small price increase hits the family budget hard. It shouldn’t cost this much to dress a toddler.”
Another parent echoed the same frustration:
“Buying clothes for my daughter is more expensive than shopping for myself. Baby items and children’s shoes have become especially overpriced.”
Retailers say the price spike is largely driven by rising import costs and global inflation in the textile sector. The market, they note, offers a wide range of quality – but parents often have to choose between affordability and safety.
“You can buy synthetic kids’ clothes for 1-2 manats, but the quality is extremely low,” a store employee explained. “Cotton items are better, but more expensive. Most goods come from Türkiye and China, and customs duties significantly impact final prices.”
Marketing analyst Elkhan Mardanli warns that the trend is becoming a systemic problem for Azerbaijan’s retail market.
“Children’s clothing is a high-turnover category – parents must update the wardrobe every 2-3 months. But with a 15% customs duty and an 18% VAT, the final price becomes inflated for both locals and tourists.”
He argues that meaningful change is only possible through fiscal reform.
“Reducing VAT on children’s clothing to at least 10% could help stabilize prices. This is a standard practice in several neighboring countries,” Mardanli said.
According to him, such changes could lower market prices by up to 30%, making essential items more accessible to families.
Official statistics show that Azerbaijan imported USD 397.3 million worth of apparel and accessories in the first ten months of this year – a figure that continues to grow alongside retail concerns.
