Retail chains are only being asked to obey the law, and that is not a "Velchev conspiracy", Maya Manolova, chair of the Consumer Protection Commission (KZP), said. She said the state and the KZP want nothing more from them. She was replying to Nikolay Valkanov, executive director of the Association for Modern Trade.
Last Thursday, Valkanov told BNT that in 9 out of 10 cases prices rise because of higher costs further up the supply chain, not because of the retailer.
The background: Retailers: in 9 of 10 cases, price rises come from the supply chain, not the shop
He said the few cases of high mark-ups do not show the real picture. Average net profit in retail is about 3%, which is what is left after all costs, he said.
Valkanov said the shelf price depends on supplier prices, wages and the cost of electricity, energy and transport, which are rising sharply. Bulgarian suppliers have raised prices on the domestic market by 70% since 2021, he said. He also asked whether the state-owned company is part of a "Velchev conspiracy" over the price of cheese, if there is one, as some guests on TV shows claim.
Manolova objected that the price of fresh milk from Bulgarian farms is insultingly low and has not changed by a single euro cent in 10 years. Farmers get 50 euro cents a litre, as much as a litre of mineral water costs, she said.