Domestic trade plays an important role in contemporary society due to its impact on economic and social development. It completes the economic circuit of goods and contributes to the formation of GDP (approx.15% in recent years in the Republic of Moldova), to satisfying the consumption needs of the population and increasing the quality of life, to employment. A special significance in commercial activities belongs to the trade in the municipality of Chisinau, which holds about 75% of the turnover of the country's domestic trade. The aspirations of our country's integration into the European Union, the signing of the DCFTA (2014) and obtaining the status of a candidate country for the EU accession (2022), on the one hand, and the contemporary challenges, including those related to economic, social and environmental sustainability, on the other hand, amplifies the importance of the multidimensional development of trade. In this sense, the design of the future trade development strategies, adapted to the current challenges and the future changes of the market, is of great relevance. The article analyzes the evolution of trade in the municipality of Chisinau in recent years, identifies the challenges it faces and argues the strategic milestones, priorities and development actions of this sector until 2030. Their implementation will contribute to ensuring economic balance and increasing the quality of life.