Topical Information

Since the beginning of the year, the value of the consumer basket has increased by approximately EUR 1.50 and currently amounts to EUR 53, with the growth mainly due to seasonal factors. This was stated today by Vladimir Ivanov, Chair of the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets and of the Coordination Centre under the Euro Mechanism, during a regular briefing held at the Council of Ministers building in Sofia. The public briefing was also attended by Silvia Georgieva, Executive Director of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB).

Of the total increase, approximately EUR 0.75 is attributable to basic food products and around EUR 0.80 to fruits and vegetables, with the change being upward, Ivanov added. According to him, the pace of price growth is lower compared to the beginning of 2025, and the market continues to be influenced primarily by seasonal factors.

He emphasized that in recent days stability has been observed on international markets and that there are no indications that the introduction of the euro is leading to a price shock in Bulgaria. Price developments are occurring within the usual seasonal fluctuations and do not differ from practices in other euro area countries.

In response to a question about price rounding, Ivanov commented that many goods and services have been rounded down. “There is one car wash that has rounded prices up, another that has rounded them down; vending machines that work in favor of the customer and vending machines that disadvantage the customer. From the perspective of retail chains and larger businesses, many goods have been rounded downward—we are talking about small percentages,” he gave examples.

According to him, the reputation of traders is very important. “I believe that from the point of view of good commercial practice, it is far more appropriate not to apply this type of ‘one-day-for-a-year’ strategy, because it does not work and ultimately leads to poor business results. Those who act in favor of the customer literally perform better,” he concluded.

Following the briefing of the Coordination Centre under the Euro Mechanism, NAMRB Executive Director Silvia Georgieva commented to the media that municipal administrations had made every effort throughout 2025 to adapt their systems to the new currency, and that the transition from the beginning of 2026 is taking place smoothly and without problems.