Bulgarian MP from “Progressive Bulgaria” Vladimir Nikolov said in a TV interview that major retail chains have indicated readiness to reduce prices by around 15% following discussions with authorities and stakeholders. He stated that the sector has already presented a framework for implementing lower prices across key goods.
“The chains have already come up with a plan on how to reduce prices by an average of about 15%. Very soon there will be real measures and a real result that will be felt by all of us,” Nikolov said.
He linked the expected changes to the upcoming “Basket with Care” initiative, which, according to Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski, is set to be presented in the coming days and will involve participation from retail chains.
Nikolov also argued that the concept of a “fair price” should be based on standard commercial markups, saying it is abnormal for products with low farm-gate costs to be sold at significantly higher retail prices. He pointed to milk and butter as examples, claiming that price differences across markets highlight excessive margins within the supply chain.
“The fair price is calculated on the basis of normal trade markups. It is not normal for a liter of milk to be bought for between 40 and 45 cents, but to be sold for 2 euros,” he said, adding that consumers should be able to see where markups are applied and make informed purchasing decisions.
