The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) has highlighted notable discrepancies between wholesale and retail prices, with markups on certain products reaching as high as 70%. The latest monthly monitoring of goods in the so-called small consumer basket shows that smaller retail outlets continue to offer slightly lower prices than large chains, with differences ranging from 1% to 10%.

CITUB’s survey covered a total of 21 basic products. Among them, coffee prices rose by 7%, while the price of lemons increased by nearly 10%. Lyuboslav Kostov, Director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research and Training at CITUB, stressed the need to analyze the entire pricing chain, citing significant discrepancies between wholesale and retail costs:

“For example, 10 M size eggs are priced at 3.50 leva in wholesale, yet our parallel statistics from 600 retail locations show 5.70 leva - a 63% markup. Similarly, a liter of sunflower oil is 22% more expensive at retail than wholesale. These are clear examples of serious deviations in the pricing chain,” Kostov explained.

CITUB’s monthly monitoring of basic foodstuffs and gasoline comes in preparation for Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro on January 1, 2026, in line with a memorandum of cooperation signed with the government. Other goods included in the monitoring list are a cup of coffee, half a liter of mineral water, and a cheese banitsa.

Despite the markups, Kostov noted that monthly price fluctuations remain modest. “Overall, prices are holding steady. Some items, like eggs, cheese, rice, and flour, have seen slight drops, while others have increased. Seasonal factors, particularly the expected rise in vegetable prices during autumn and winter and shifts in sunflower oil prices, are likely to drive further growth in the coming months,” he added.

CITUB’s findings also reveal significant regional variations in prices across Bulgaria. Flour, for instance, is most expensive in Plovdiv, exceeding the national average by 10%, while beans are costliest in Blagoevgrad and Vratsa, with prices 11-12% above the national average, according to Kostov.