Bulgaria: Retail Foods

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulgaria was a growing market for food and beverages, with rising consumer confidence, declining unemployment, increasing incomes, and a stable number of foreign tourists driving expansion. Despite the pandemic’s turmoil and initial uncertainty, retail sales rose slightly year-on-year by 1.7 percent in 2020 and 1.2 percent in 2021 as compared to the previous years. However, the number of retail outlets in Bulgaria in 2021 declined by 5 percent to 38,955. Modern retail sales, which make up 61 percent of the industry in value terms, remain dominant. U.S. food exports with best sales potential include distilled spirits, tree nuts, dried fruits, wine, craft beer, snacks and cereals, beef meat, fish and seafood, sauces, spices, and pulses.