Experts from the National Analytical Center at Nazarbayev University (NU) have presented the results of a pilot project testing behavioral “nudging” tools to promote domestic products in Kazakhstan’s retail sector (from nudge, meaning “a gentle push”).
The experiment demonstrated that visual cues and more prominent product placement can significantly influence consumer choice: sales of Kazakh cheese in pilot stores increased by 20% in just four weeks.
“We decided to test behavioral tools in the Kazakh context using cheese as an example. It is a staple food product, yet it has a high import share of 47%. In just four weeks, sales of Kazakh cheese in pilot stores increased by 20%. This is a very strong result. Global evidence suggests an average nudging effect of around 8%. The Kazakh market shows a strong need for better navigation and clearer visibility of national brands. Our experiment demonstrates that Kazakhstanis are ready to show economic patriotism — they simply need support in making that choice at the point of purchase,” said Saltanat Janenova, Director of the Center for Public Administration and Behavioral Policy at the National Analytical Center at NU.
The results were presented during a roundtable on promoting the national brand “Qazaqstanda jasalgan,” held at the International Exhibition Center “EXPO,” with participation from government bodies, retail chains, domestic producers, industry associations, and the expert community.
Acting Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aizhan Bizhanova highlighted ongoing measures to promote the national brand “Qazaqstanda jasalgan” and emphasized that supporting domestic producers is an integral part of state policy enshrined in legislation.
The pilot project was implemented by the National Analytical Center at NU in a real retail environment within one of the country’s major retail chains, with methodological support from the Behavioural Insights Team, a UK-based behavioral science company. Researchers tested a range of behavioral interventions, including banners, shelf dividers, stickers, shelf strips with prominent “Made in Kazakhstan” branding, and audio messages drawing attention to Kazakh cheese.
According to participants, behavioral nudges (nudge, meaning “a gentle push”) are widely used internationally to promote local products and encourage more sustainable consumer behavior. In countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the UAE, these tools help increase sales of local goods through clearer and more effective in-store communication.
The project serves as an example of how NU’s research expertise can be applied to address practical challenges in economic and public policy. As a research university, NU is advancing applied work in behavioral science and data analytics, and participants of the roundtable also discussed opportunities to scale such tools across other categories of domestic products and regions of Kazakhstan.
