Bulgaria: People No Longer Overstock on Foods But Shopping Habits Have Changed

When the state of emergency in the country was declared in mid-March, many people rushed to food stores and began stocking up on durable products - flour, cereals, canned food, toilet paper... The traders' assurances that none of these was at risk of disappearing from shelves did not help.

"For a short while we have witnessed frenetic shopping for basic food products, masks and disinfectants. Interest in buying food from the heated display cases in supermarkets has fallen sharply. After our customers saw that there was no shortage of any goods, and all anti-epidemic measures were observed in supermarkets, they gradually began to return to their usual shopping rhythm," Fantastico personnel commented.

The chain reports that in the summer and autumn the consumer basket was not much different from the one before the pandemic.

"Only interest in detergents, disinfectants and masks was high at a time when the virus was not widely spread. At full capacity worked the ovens, in which they knead and bake bread on-site in supermarkets. Perhaps only the interest in dishes from the culinary stands was not recovered fully, but they also worked at full steam," the company's data show.

Like other retailers in Bulgaria, Fantastico reports a certain change in the way of shopping once the situation calmed down. The new trend shows that people visit stores less often and shop more. On average, since spring the number of customers visiting supermarkets has plummeted by about 25%. At the same time, however, the average bill worth has increased. For example, if we compare October 2019 with October 2020, the increase in the average payment is 27%.

They also reported a certain ebb of customer flows at the start of the epidemic, when consumers opted for...

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