The consumer basket in Bulgaria shows a slight increase in September this year, according to a report by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB). Violeta Ivanova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research at the CITUB, announced that the value of the basket increased by 0.5% compared to the previous month of August. "A monthly stagnation is observed, but already at high levels from previous years", she emphasized.
The presented data are from the monitoring of the prices of 21 goods from the small consumer basket, reflecting the price development during the previous month. The most significant increase, according to the report, was recorded for chicken, which increased by 2.8% in September compared to August. The price of cucumbers also increased, by 1%, while a cup of coffee marked an impressive increase of 13%. This upward movement in the price of coffee is explained by the analysts also with the general increase in the price of the raw material, observed since the end of 2024. In contrast, a slight decrease on a monthly basis was registered in the price of mineral water. The price of the banitsa (a type of pastry) remains unchanged. A similar trend of stagnation is observed in the price of gasoline.
The CITUB data reveal significant deviations between wholesale and retail prices. The union records "a typical markup on products in the range of 23-71% on goods in retail trade". The situation is particularly worrying for basic food products such as rice, fresh milk, cheese, eggs and tomatoes, where the markup reaches over 50% for the end consumer compared to the stock market price.
In small retail outlets, on the other hand, for 10 out of 17 observed positions, the prices turn out to be lower compared to those in large chains - in the range of -6 to -12%.
The CITUB also comments on the continuing differences in prices across different regions of the country, which raises questions about access to essential goods for all citizens.