Bulgaria

In 2023, the cider/perry category in Bulgaria witnessed strong growth in retail volume terms, thereby exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The development of this category is a result of the global trend towards low-alcohol and long drinks, especially…

Tobacco in Bulgaria witnessed robust growth in 2023, with retail volume growth driven largely by the growing appeal of alternative products in the form of e-vapour products and heated tobacco. Cigarette smoking remains very popular due to its low…

Cat food in Bulgaria is expected to continue increasing in both volume and value sales in 2024. This is partly due to growth in Bulgaria’s pet cat population, though the primary drivers of volume sales remain pet humanisation, rising awareness of the…

In 2023, skin care in Bulgaria witnessed robust double-digit growth in current value terms, mainly driven by unit price increase. However, volume sales also made steady gains thanks to the growing popularity of products targeting specific skin…

Vending in Bulgaria performed strongly in 2023, registering double-digit value growth, as well an increase in constant value sales, despite continuing high inflation. Convenience and on-the-go consumption drove consumer demand. While hot and soft…

After discounters, hypermarkets were the best performing grocery channel in Bulgaria in 2023 in terms of value growth. With inflation still high, hypermarkets registered a small increase in constant value sales. Recent opening of new outlets also…

2023 was not a good year for convenience retailers in Bulgaria. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in convenience retailers, as prices tend to be higher than in other grocery retailers. In addition, there is a degree of…

Alcoholic drinks in Bulgaria was heavily influenced by price increases in 2023, due to the prevalence of high inflation. The second half of the year saw inflation start to fall, but this had little impact on retail prices, which continued to rise in…

Due to the relatively high inflation in Bulgaria, mass colour cosmetics continued to grow at a faster pace than premium colour cosmetics in 2023. As the cost of living in Bulgaria remained quite high, people preferred to shop for more affordable…

Supermarkets in Bulgaria registered current value growth, though constant value sales fell. Inflation was still an issue and impacted profitability. That being said, supermarkets are the largest modern grocery retailer in terms of value sales, with…

In 2023, beer consumption in Bulgaria decreased resulting in a decline in off-trade volume sales. Bulgarians spent more time out of the home and increased their level of domestic and foreign travel, thus lowering at-home beer consumption. The…

Fragrances in Bulgaria was hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and whilst sales have begun to bounce back, overall volume and value sales have yet to be restored to 2019 levels. The lifting of all pandemic restrictions during 2022 resulted in…

Direct selling registered a fall in current value sales in Bulgaria in 2023. Both high inflation and a shift away from direct selling to e-commerce led to a drop in sales, as e-commerce also provides the convenience of direct delivery. In fact,…

Surface care in Bulgaria continued to decline in retail volume in 2023, much of which is the consequence of the category's unusual growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, sales are declining in comparison as usage returns to pre-pandemic…

Home insecticides in Bulgaria declined in retail volume sales in 2023, impacted by the fall in the property market. Moreover, people in the cities increasingly use the services of insect control companies, which provide an easy, quick, effective and…

Value sales of dog food in Bulgaria are set to experience moderate growth in 2024. Much of this growth will be based on the further penetration of prepared food due to pet owners' higher awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of industrial…

Wine in Bulgaria continued to enjoy buoyant retail volume growth, underpinned by the recovery of on-trade sales following the pandemic. However, wine consumption through the on-trade still remained below 2019 levels as inflationary conditions and…

In 2023, the consumption of spirits in Bulgaria increased with volume sales rising well in on-trade venues but declining marginally in retailers. Current value growth was fuelled by price rises after a long period of stability. Nevertheless, the…

Sun care in Bulgaria was hard hit during the pandemic when travel all but stopped in the country. Bulgarian consumers do not use sun protection all year round, with usage mainly concentrated during the summer season when citizens take holidays and…

High inflation continued to impact retail in Bulgaria in 2023, though growth in retail prices did ease. As such, though current value sales increased, there was a fall in constant value sales, as continuing rising costs hit profit margins, and also…