Supermarkets dominate in Bulgaria

Nielsen’s ShopperTrends revealed last year that sales in almost each category were the highest in supermarkets. Hypermarkets replaced traditional shops as the second most important channel. Researchers interviewed the main shoppers of 1,700 households in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and other cities. In 7.2-million Bulgaria (where per capita GDP is half of the Hungarian) the crisis hit FMCG retail as well. For instance, last April-August volume sales were down 10 percent; this later improved, as in the 3rd quarter Nielsen GrowthReporter registered a 4-percent decline. Modern store types were spreading despite the crisis: CBA, Carrefour, Metro, Billa, Kaufland and Lithuanian T-market are all present in Bulgaria. Bulgarian chains Fantastiko and C&C focus mainly on Sofia, while Piccadilly is big in Varna. The average buyer goes to a supermarket 12.3 times per month and 12.1 times to a traditional shop. In 2008, 24 percent of consumers spent the most money on daily consumer goods in traditional shops, but in 2009, only 1 percent did. The three main criteria for choosing a shop are: 1. products are easy to find, 2. products are always available and 3. food products give value for money. Bulgarian consumers’ brand loyalty is strengthening, especially when it comes to body care, coffee and household cleaning products.