RATE turns its attention to Bulgaria’s retail leaders

Every day we walk into a store, order something online, compare prices, look for deals and choose from dozens of brands. Retail is one of the sectors with which consumers have the most direct and constant contact, but behind the shelves, checkout counters and online stores lies a massive business – with billions in revenue, complex supply chains, thousands of employees and competition that is increasingly fought not only on price but also on technology, convenience and the quality of the customer experience.

It is precisely this market that Economic.bg is targeting with the next special edition of its major digital project RATE – “Retail Leaders.”

After presenting “RATE | Banking Leaders” in March for the second consecutive year and expanding the project in June with “RATE | Insurance Leaders” we are now shining the spotlight on yet another key sector of the Bulgarian economy.

The main focus will be on the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, and a special section of the issue will also track developments in non-food retail.

The goal remains the same as that upon which RATE is built – through data collection, analysis and conversations with experts, to present the state of the sector and outline trends: Research, Analysis and Trend.

Who are the biggest players in Bulgarian retail?

At the heart of “RATE | Retail Leaders” is the ranking of the leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in Bulgaria, ordered by their revenue for 2025.

But we will look beyond a simple ranking by size and track how the positions of the major players are shifting, who is growing the fastest, how market concentration is evolving and which business models are proving most successful in an environment of intense competition and changing consumer behavior.

Where do you prefer to shop?

Revenue shows scale, but it does not tell the whole story. That is why this time we will add another important metric to the financial indicators – direct consumer feedback.

As part of the project Economic.bg will conduct a special survey among its readers to identify their favorite retail chains. We will ask the question: “What is your favorite retail chain?”

This way alongside the ranking based on objective business metrics we will also include the perspective of the people who choose between the various options on the market every day.

Price remains important, but consumer decisions have long depended on many other factors as well — product quality and variety, store convenience, customer service, promotional policies, private labels, loyalty programs, digital services and the overall shopping experience.

Data as a Story

As with previous RATE special editions, we will present all of this in an interactive digital “Scrollytelling” format.

Rankings, figures, charts, interviews and analyses will be transformed into a visual narrative through which readers can gradually discover the companies, processes and trends behind one of the most visible sectors of the economy.

Translated with DeepL.