Magazine: Bulgaria – Many retailers, several store types

Thirty-seven Bulgarian FMCG companies sent more than 100 representatives to Nielsen’s Shopper Trends workshop, held in Novotel Sofia. Jacques Vandenheede, retail insights director of Nielsen in Europe, told participants that a few years before various store types were battling in grocery retail but these days the most important thing is to increase the brand equity of retail chains. In Bulgarian retail Billa, Kaufland, Lidl, Metro, Penny Market, Carrefour and Bulgarian supermarket and C&C chain Fantasztiko are the biggest players, but Hungary’s CBA and Lithuanian retail chain T-market are also important. Bulgaria’s store structure is fragmented and there are several store types, with kiosks and specialist shops also being important market players. Last year FMCG value sales grew a little. In December 2012-April 2013 average prices augmented by 0.7 percent. Nominal value sales dropped 0.9 percent and volume sales were reduced by 1.6 percent. Because of the fragmented store structure shopping frequency is one of the highest in Europe. Still, the majority of households’ spending is realised in hypermarkets. Bulgarians are also staring to watch out for promotions, but it isn’t characteristic of them to switch stores or to buy other than their usual products because of them.