Bulgaria Retail Sales Growth Eases in January

Retail sales in Bulgaria climbed 7.3% year-on-year in February 2026, following an upwardly revised 4.2% rise in the previous month. Sales accelerated sharply in food, beverages, and tobacco (5.3% vs 0.1% in January) and in non-food products excluding fuel (10.5% vs 8.3%), particularly in computers, peripheral units and software, and telecommunications equipment (16.9% vs 10.5%), in non-specialized stores (4.7% vs 1.8%), and via mail order houses and the internet (23.7% vs 13.1%). At the same time, sales in automotive fuel and lubricants rebounded (0.4% vs -1.5%). Meanwhile, retail activity rose at a softer pace in textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather (17.1% vs 19.8%) and in audio and video equipment (13.8% vs 15.2%), and sales of pharmaceutical and orthopedic goods continued to decline (-3.2% vs -2.7%). On a monthly basis, retail sales grew by 1% in February, reversing a downwardly revised 0.4% fall in the preceding period.

Retail sales in Bulgaria rose 3.9% year-on-year in January 2026, easing from a revised 8.2% jump in the previous month. The slowdown was largely attributed to softer growth in sales of non-food products excluding fuel (8.3% vs 16.6% in December), driven by smaller increases in audio and video equipment (15.3% vs 29.4%), computers, peripheral units and software (10.5% vs 16.5%), and information and communication equipment (12.7% vs 22.7%). Meanwhile, sales of pharmaceutical and orthopedic goods declined (-2.7% vs -10.4%). Sales of automotive fuel also fell (-1.5% vs 15.4%), while growth moderated for sales via mail-order houses and the internet (13% vs 14.7%). At the same time, sales of food, beverages, and tobacco were flat, following a 4.6% decline in December. On a monthly basis, retail sales dropped 0.5%, after a 1.6% increase in the previous period.

Retail sales in Bulgaria rose by 7.7% year-on-year in December 2025, following a 3.1% gain in the previous month. This marked the sharpest rise in retail activity in eleven months, as sales increased sharply in automotive fuel and lubricants (11.8% vs 10.3%) and non-food products excluding fuel (15.7% vs 5.9% in November), particularly in non-specialized stores (16.4% vs 8.9%), textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather (8.6% vs 5.1%), household appliances, furniture, and other household goods (29.3% vs 15.3%), audio, video, computer, and communication equipment (16.3% vs 14.7%). Meanwhile, activity declined further in food, beverages, and tobacco (-4.6% vs -2%). On a monthly basis, retail sales grew by 1.6% in December, following an upwardly revised 0.2% growth in the preceding period.