Trade has a strategic importance for balanced and sustainable development of economic and social systems.The development of competitive market’s mechanisms, the amplification of economic reforms and of the globalization processes generated in the last decade substantial transformations in organizing and functioning of domestic trade in the Republic of Moldova. Along with the benefic changes, resulting from the freedom of commercial activities, there appeared some deficiencies with legislative-normative, institutional, structural, functional, fiscal, consumers’ protection and of other character. The existing problems affect seriously the fulfillment of objectives for domestic trade policy and slow down the passing of the commercial sector to a modern format and alignment to European practices in this domain. The pressure of internal factors on one hand and penetration on home market of international trade networks on another hand, impose the necessity to restructure and reorganize the domestic trade, its diversification in order to adapt to the demands of competitive environment. The paper contains an analysis of actual tendencies from domestic trade, identification of constrains which are faced by this important sector of the national economy and the strategic priorities for its development. The results of our research were taken into consideration and were used for the elaboration of the Strategy for the development of the domestic trade in the Republic of Moldova for 2014-2020 and Actions Plan for its implementation, which were approved by the Government..