Since the beginning of the year, the value of the consumer basket has increased by about 1.50 euros and currently amounts to 53 euros, with the growth mainly due to seasonal factors. This was stated today by Vladimir Ivanov, Chairman of the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Markets and of the Coordination Center to the Euro Mechanism, during a regular briefing held in the building of the Council of Ministers in Sofia.
Of the increase, approximately 0.75 euros are due to basic food products, and about 0.80 euros – to fruits and vegetables, with the change being upward. According to Ivanov, the rate of price increase is lower compared to the beginning of 2025, and the market remains under the influence mainly of seasonal factors.
He stressed that in recent days stability has been observed in international markets and there are no indications that the introduction of the euro will lead to a price shock in our country. Price processes are developing within the usual seasonal fluctuations and do not differ from the practice in other eurozone countries.
Asked about the rounding of prices of goods, Ivanov commented that many goods and services have been rounded down. There is a car wash that has rounded up, another has rounded down, vending machines that benefit the customer and vending machines that disadvantage the customer. From the point of view of retail chains and larger businesses, many of the goods are rounded down - we are talking about small percentages, he gave examples.
In his words, the reputation of traders is very important. I think that the much more correct behavior from the point of view of good commercial practice is not to practice this type of “day-year food” strategy, because it does not work and in the end bad economic results are realized. Everyone who is in favor of the customer literally works better, he summarized.