Is there a boycott of supermarkets by consumers?

A boycott of retail chains has been announced for today due to the high prices of food products in Bulgaria. The initiative comes from four organizations: the Consumers' Federation, the association "For Affordable and Quality Food," "United Pensioners' Unions," and "The System is Killing Us".

Organisations announce boycott over high food prices

At the same time, an anti-boycott has been organised on social media for several days, urging people to shop as usual, arguing that this is not the way to lower prices.

According to a report by BNT, there has been no significant change in the number of shoppers. The prevailing opinion is that a single boycott will not change anything. Some shoppers were unaware of the campaign.

"There is a trend that we, as an association, have noticed: when we approach important decisions for the country, such as adopting the euro, a campaign begins against the trasnparent and responsible businesses in the country," commented Donika Rizova from the Association for Modern Trade.

"In recent years, there has been no such state support for agricultural producers. Consumers, not only in Bulgaria but also in the Balkans, Europe, and globally, see what is on the shelf – they see the display of a very long supply chain," Rizova added.

"50% of the total revenue from the sale of dairy products, and most food products, stays with the retailer. I will give an example with cheese prices from last week. Bulgarian cheese made from Bulgarian milk is invoiced wholesale at 16 BGN, while the final price on the shelf is 32-34 BGN. We observe a 100% markup, and sometimes even more," said Vladislav Mihaylov, Chairman of the National Dairy Association.

It remains to be seen whether people will join the boycott in large numbers.