Bulgaria

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…

With high inflation still driving up production costs and unit prices, ice cream in Bulgaria is set to register faster growth in retail current value sales than retail volume sales in 2023. Demand has remained fairly robust despite falling purchasing…

100% juice is posting stable growth in Bulgaria in 2023, maintaining popularity due to its perceived freshness, nutritional value and alignment with health and wellness trends. Despite this, its growth potential is somewhat hampered by ongoing…

While retail value sales were positive in 2023, these results were heavily driven by increased unit prices. As such, retail volume sales struggled, negatively impacted by rising inflation and reduced consumer spending power. This led to a retail…

With no pandemic-related movement and travel restrictions mandated by the government, foodservice continues to recover in 2023. Limited-services restaurants, in particular, are recording strong value growth as a result of strong and renewed consumer…

Lodging suffered significantly during the pandemic with the number of room nights booked and value sales dropping dramatically. Nonetheless, most lodging establishments and hotels managed to endure the crisis although many have been financially…

Mass beauty and personal care in Bulgaria registered a positive performance in 2023. Whilst price increases fuelled some of this growth, the increased demand for more affordable products was also a factor as inflation remained stubbornly high. This…

The Bulgarian market for meals and soups in 2023 remained nearly stagnant, with a slight negative trend, primarily driven by the increased frequency of dining out. The categories most affected by this shift were shelf-stable ready meals and dried…

Men’s grooming in Bulgaria is evolving due to changing attitudes towards self-care with men investing in their personal appearance. In 2023, men’s grooming witnessed robust growth in current value terms driven mainly by unit price increases, while…

In 2023, menstrual care in Bulgaria witnessed steady retail volume growth despite the continued unit price increases in the category. Price inflation was most notable at the beginning of the year when inflation was still at its peak from 2022.…

Retail volume sales of nappies/diapers/paints in Bulgaria continued to fall in 2023, in line with the ongoing decline in the country’s birth rate which is reducing the overall consumer base. Indeed, the very low numbers of babies being born Bulgaria…

The pervasive smoking habits in Bulgaria exert a considerable negative effect on the sales of NRT smoking cessation aids. Bulgaria has one of the highest smoking rates in the European Union, with a significant portion of the population addicted to…

Due to the influence of social media, the popularity of teeth whitening at home is gathering pace in Bulgaria and this is contributing to the positive development of oral care in Bulgaria. The desire for a youthful, confident smile fuelled the demand…

In 2023, chilled dairy desserts and chilled snacks started to see consumption recover after the previous year’s decline, whilst other categories remain in decline. Current value growth was driven by further inflation and price growth, especially at…

In Bulgaria's other hot drinks category, chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks maintains the largest volume share despite facing several challenges. These challenges include declining birth rates and a growing consumer preference for low-sugar…

The majority of categories in other pet food are set to develop positively in 2024, especially in value as opposed to volume terms due to their price retention at a relatively high level. Category growth will be based mainly on increasing knowledge…

Parental preference for child-specific consumer health products is a progressively growing trend in Bulgaria, reflecting a strong desire for products tailored to the unique needs and sensitivities of children, in contrast to the more traditional…

With its very low tax burden and strong state finances, Bulgaria enjoys economic freedom, although political instability has been common. High inflation is adversely affecting the economy, but joblessness remains low. Although skills shortages are…

Sales of pet care in Bulgaria continued to grow based on the potential of prepared food due to its current low share. Dog and cat food remained the main growth driver of the pet care market as dogs and cats continued to be the main pet population in…

The Bulgarian pet products category is expected to grow in 2024 in value terms. Growth will mainly be based on the growing interest and knowledge in caring about pet health, hygiene, wellness and entertainment. Pet humanisation is also ongoing while…