During the last years commercial activities in Tbilisi are characterised by the reduction of the state sector (in this field) and the development of private sector. If in 1990 the state trade share constituted 95%, in 1993 95,5% of the overall volume of trade fell on the private sector. In 1996 the number of organisations existing on their own independent balance amounted to 4788, out of it 429 were the entities of public catering and 4359 were the entities of retail trade. Out of trade enterprises the number of the state sector enterprises constituted 10%.More than half of the trade units are located in Didube, Vake, Isani and Saburtalo districts (half of the whole commodity circulation falls on Didube district). In the city emerged new types (elements) of commercial activities: small-scale retail multifunctional markets, kiosks, uncontrolled trade just in the streets.

One of the characteristic examples of small-scale multifunctional markets is the commercial zone in the territory of the city Train Station and its adjoining area. For the whole population of the city it is a focus (place) of commercial attraction. Besides the low prices which one can find here, the place is very convenient from the point of view of transport infrastructure: railroad, metro, surface transport, underground tracks, etc.

Another example of newly formed specialised markets is the market of construction materials which was moved several times from one place to another (Metro "Delisi", hippodrome area, Kavtaradze str.,etc). Such movements point to the fact that it did not fit into the city planning structure. Another similar market was opened in Eliava street.



So called "outdoor trade" is not included in the statistics. This type of trade was allowed by the authorities in 1992 and mainly carried out by the IDP (internally displaced people) and socially unprotected people. For this stage the increase of trading kiosks is very characteristic for the city - because of their mobility and low rent prices. Kiosks are spread all over the city. They have been concentrated in certain areas of the city - close to metro stations (e.g. Marjanishvili, Gotsiridze, Akhmeteli and others); on highways (e.g. Frienship Avenue, I.Abashidze street, Georgian Military Road, etc.). A new type of zoning is "Night trade" (on Akhvlediani str., at the cross of Arakishvili and Abashidze streets).

At present the city authorities are trying to put in order trading zones; from central streets the kiosks were taken away, but this process is not included in the common system of the city construction zoning which causes the encroachment upon the interests of consumers and at the same time the opposition from commercial structures.

Comparatively new direction in commercial activities is the functioning of privatised shops. This is accompanied by a beneficial processes: improvement of the design of their outward appearance for the purpose of attraction more consumers. The shops of this type are arranged on the ground floors of big apartment buildings in central streets. The goods for trade are mainly imported (Turkey, Europe, Iran, etc.) It is very common that the same unit is rented by different people (when one leave it and another takes for some other purposes) from time to time, consequently the profile of the unit changes frequently. Such processes are accompanied with the violation of the city construction discipline - neglecting of "Red Lines" (plants), destruction of pavements and others.