As of today, the completely updated version of the "How much does it cost" portal (kolkostruva.bg) comes into effect, promising improved access to current price information from commercial establishments in the country. This was announced by Tsvetislova Lakova, a member of the Commission for Consumer Protection (CPC), in Lovech, during an information meeting, part of the National Information Campaign for the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria. The atmosphere of the meeting was tense, with attendees who obviously awaited with great interest the details of the new platform.
The "How much does it cost" portal will publish and visualize the prices of 101 products included in the large consumer basket. The new version has successfully passed all integration tests, which guarantees its full functionality and data reception from retail chains. Currently, data from 95 retail chains is being submitted in a test environment, while data comes from 87 in a real environment. "17 are visible to users as of today," Lakova specified.
According to her statement, the platform has been developed in accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Introduction of the Euro. The CPC took decisive action to provide this new, accessible public tool for comparing the prices of basic products. The new version of the portal represents a single point of access to price information, collecting data daily from retail chains, which are required by law. "The system is designed to process large volumes of data - hundreds of thousands of records per day from each chain, which at a national level means millions of data daily," added Tsvetislova Lakova.
She emphasized that access to the information is simplified, as users only need to select the place of residence, specific stores and the product whose price they are interested in. Users will be able to track the prices of all 101 products included in the consumer basket.
The platform's interface is optimized for quick access from different devices. Lakova announced that the platform contains open data, allowing users to download data, compare it, and check prices.