Modern Retail In Bulgaria Continues To Rise

The modern retail outlets in Bulgaria continue to increase their market share, on the account of the small independent stores, shows a GfK survey, quoted by Dnevnik.bg.

In 2007 the modern retail outlets, such as super- and hypermarkets, held 42% of the FMCG sales, while in 2011 their share reached 55%.

According to the same survey, the top 5 largest FMCG retailers in Bulgaria are Kaufland, Billa, CBA, Lidl and Penny.

In Bulgaria discounts and promotions account for only 10% of the sales, while for comparison in the Czech Republic it is 49% and in Hungary – 28%.

The GfK survey shows that the consumer confidence in Bulgaria is recovering slowly and currently has almost reached its pre-crisis levels. At the same time, however, the consumer outlook in Bulgaria, compared to the rest of Europe remains negative and 82% of the people don't expect to improve their financial status in the next 12 months.

A considerable part of the household income in Bulgaria is spent on food – 45%. Seventeen percent are spent on utilities and home repairs and 14% - on transport and communications. The situation is similar to that of Romania, Serbia and Russia.