site.btaTrade Union's Chief Economist: Many Goods Are Cheaper in Smaller Retail Outlets

The price of a significant portion of goods is higher in large retail outlets than in small ones, said Lyuboslav Kostov, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) chief economist and Director of the CITUB Institute of Social and Trade Union Research. Kostov spoke at a press conference here on Friday to present data from monitoring the prices of the small consumer basket as of July 2025.

Products such as bread, pork, sausages, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers, apples, and beans are more expensive in large chains, the expert said. Small retail outlets have prices that are on average 1% to 10% lower for 21 items in the small consumer basket.

There has been a more significant increase in the prices of coffee and mineral water, which is explained by seasonal consumption patterns. The price of lemons has risen by 9.6%, of apples by 7.8%, of chicken by 2.8%, of bread by about 2%, said the economist. Sunflower oil, tomatoes, and cucumbers are becoming cheaper, Kostov added. There are also regional differences in prices. Coffee is most expensive in Pernik and Gabrovo. Banitsa is most expensive in Sofia. Sunflower oil is most expensive in Plovdiv, and white beans are most expensive in Blagoevgrad.

Retail and wholesale prices show significant deviations, Kostov reported. The deviations for the same product range between 30% and 70%.

Prices in the small consumer basket have remained stable on a monthly basis due to the decline in prices of some basic goods, such as rice and eggs, and the more significant decrease in the prices of seasonal goods, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.

With the introduction of the euro on January 1, 2026, and the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with the government, CITUB started monthly monitoring of the prices of 21 goods in the small consumer basket. The goal is to protect consumers' interests by preventing unjustified price spikes. A total of 600 small and large retail outlets across 81 municipalities are monitored. Lemons, mineral water (0.5 litres), and a cup of coffee have been added to the small consumer basket.

Kostov concluded: "We will continue to monitor prices every month. Hopefully, we will have pricing that corresponds to market processes and relationships between economic entities in our economy."