Bulgaria's largest retail chains, together with the government, are launching a new initiative called "Care Basket," aimed at helping residents reduce their everyday shopping costs amid rising prices.
Unlike short-term promotions and sales, the program is long-term and requires the voluntary participation of retail chains. Each retailer independently creates a list of products but is committed to reducing their prices by at least 15%.
The list includes the most popular products:
• bread and baked goods;
• milk and dairy products;
• eggs;
• meat;
• fruits and vegetables;
• legumes and other everyday items.
Kaufland, Lidl, BILLA, Fantastico, Metro, CBA, DAR, and Minimart have already joined the initiative. Depending on the chain, customers will be offered anywhere from several dozen to over a hundred products at reduced prices. Some companies are offering discounts of up to 30%.
The program is scheduled to launch from June 8 to 15 and will last for at least six months.
However, experts point out several important points. Currently, there is no standardized labeling for products in the "Care Basket," so each chain will label them differently. Furthermore, it is not yet entirely clear from what base price the announced discounts will be calculated or how significant the actual savings will be for customers.
Nevertheless, the initiative appears timely and could provide significant support for family budgets. The extent of the impact will become clear in the coming months.