One Day Before the Deadline: Traders Rush to Update Price Tags in Both Lev and Euro

A day ahead of the official deadline for all goods in Bulgaria to be labelled in both lev and euro, traders across the country are rushing to update their price tags.

The prices of most fruits and vegetables at markets in major cities have already been recalculated and displayed in both currencies. However, the dual pricing system continues to confuse many consumers.

Milena Mincheva, producer and trader, explained:

“We still have around three or four labels left—these are for goods that were recently repriced but haven’t been relabelled yet. Our cash register software is already updated, but I suspect there are businesses that still haven’t made the switch. It’s physically impossible to cover all companies in such a short time. It would be helpful if the deadline were extended, as not everyone is used to the new system yet. Some shops have a large variety of products. This takes time.”

According to Kuncho Kunchev, the manager of "Municipal Markets" in Ruse, the traders are already ready for the change.

“Even if someone is a farmer or trader, they usually don’t have an overwhelming number of items or types of produce that would make relabelling too difficult. Traders are ready. There are prices—in both euro and lev—on all market stalls. The bigger challenge is with configuring the cash registers and software. We, as the municipal company managing the city’s markets, are also facing some difficulties there. Things are progressing slowly, but overall, the dual pricing is already in place across the market.”