Bulgaria E-commerce Market Size
| Study Period | 2019 - 2029 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2023 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2024 - 2029 |
| Historical Data Period | 2019 - 2022 |
| CAGR | 4.80 % |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
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Bulgaria E-commerce Market Analysis
Bulgaria E-commerce market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period (2022 - 2027). The Bulgaria E-Commerce market is becoming increasingly pervasive in the economies of European Union countries. Bulgaria has about 772,000 online retailers, and the number continues to grow. About 60% of online purchases come from international sources. About 41% of sellers are from the EU, and 19% are from other countries.
- Economic growth in the Bulgarian market has also changed the behavior of Bulgarian consumers. More cities are showing great interest in organic and healthy foods in big cities. The wealthier part of society prefers smaller local stores to global supermarket chains. More Bulgarian people are also shopping online. Despite growing interest in online shopping, this market still has significant growth potential.
- The use of applications for mobile e-commerce has increased, especially last few years. It provides a quick and easy way to buy goods and services. Better broadband network coverage and 3G and 4G services make it attractive. All major e-stores have developed mobile applications that complement their customers.
- The popular payment method is mobile, covering 80% of the Bulgarian payments market. For instance, Mobiano is a mobile payment solution in Bulgaria. Another solution in Bulgaria is MINT, a prepaid card solution that allows users to make secure and easy payments.
- Digital marketing technologies and methods such as search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing, display advertising, and digital campaigns make products, goods, and services more popular and target audiences and are widely used in Bulgaria, leveraging the e-commerce market in the coming days.
- The regulations' modifications are analyzed to bolster the market growth rate further. In July 2021, new VAT regulations for business-to-consumer (B2C) sales were enacted. BEA firmly supports the EU's initiatives to streamline VAT regulations and create a level playing field for European businesses. The new e-commerce bundle with VAT gives Bulgarian e-traders a significant advantage. Since the VAT exemption of EUR22 has been eliminated and all imported shipments will now be subject to VAT, regardless of their value, the new regulations prevent unfair business practices by non-EU traders. By enabling some sellers to declare all of their pan-European sales through a single VAT registration in their home country, these VAT amendments simplify VAT duties for B2C e-commerce sellers.
- Since businesses from all sectors have made significant investments in e-commerce, the demand for technical know-how has increased significantly. The pandemic further accelerated this trend, which increased the pressure on e-commerce service providers to expand and keep up with demand. More than 15 businesses in Bulgaria are part of the Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) ecosystem. But for the nation to truly become a regional hub for e-commerce tech solutions, SFCC businesses need access to talent to meet client demand and the fast-moving market. In collaboration with Telerik Academy, seven players recently established a 3-month program for Salesforce Commerce Cloud Developers to increase the popularity of e-commerce development within the developer community. These factors are bolstering the market growth rate.
- According to the Passport of the E-commerce Industry In Bulgaria 2020 report published by the Bulgarian E-Commerce Association, the key e-commerce vendors in the country that are members of the associations witnessed exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several online stores registered a growth of over 60% in the number and volume of online sales. The development has been attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue over the forecasted period, having made a permanent change of course in consumer buying patterns.
Bulgaria E-commerce Market Trends
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Bulgaria E-commerce Market according to our research experts:
Food and Personal Care market on rise in the country
- Food and personal care e-commerce remained one of the prominent performance categories of Bulgarian e-commerce in 2021. During the reporting period before the pandemic, the growing demand for a busy lifestyle and convenience was the main driver of Bulgarian food and beverage e-commerce. On the other hand, Bulgarian online grocery stores have grown by more than 100% after orders have increased since the pandemic.
- More online grocery retailers compete in high-speed commerce and are often affiliated with high-speed delivery apps. For example, Glovo, a local partner of the German hypermarket Kaufland, acquired food panda in Bulgaria and Romania, a delivery service previously owned by Delivery Hero.
- Companies in the country are focused on expanding the e-commerce market through investments and collaborations. In April 2022, Bulgarian funding agency HR Capital invested EUR 250,000 in the local online grocery store eBag.bg through subscribing for 730 everyday stocks from the capital growth of the local agency Convenience. Further, in 2022, HR Capital will strictly adhere to its publicly introduced funding policy - participation in transformative generation companies and growing its interest with maximum success investments.
- According to the European Cosmetics industry, the cosmetics and personal care market is thriving in Bulgaria, growing over 6%, primarily due to increased consumer power. New product launches, increased brand availability, updated marketing campaigns, and more westernization have dramatically changed attitudes and demand for higher-end, specialty cosmetics, with many adopting mobile phones. Highly digitized, it is revitalizing the e-commerce market.
Growth of Internet and Online Payments during COVID-19 Pandemic
- In Bulgaria, pandemics have exponentially increased digital shopping and consumption, involving users previously excluded from this trend. This decline in business was partially offset by the massive adoption and demand for card payments online and in-store, within the limits of international travel, which contributes significantly to transactions worldwide. Users were looking for a safer, faster, and more convenient way to pay for goods, where COVID-19 dominates.
- In March 2021, Norwegian financial technology group Settle entered the Bulgarian market by launching an instant mobile payment application in Bulgaria. The Settle Group will operate through Settle Bulgaria, a local entity established as a joint venture with a local strategic partner. Bulgaria is the third country where the Settle Group will appoint an entity and the 22nd market in Europe where the Settle application works. With this application, individual users can instantly send, receive and manage money from their mobile phones.
- Similarly, in July 2021, Paysafe, a UK-based online payment company, announced that it opened a new office in Varna, Bulgaria. About 40 employees are already working in the new location. The company plans to increase the number of employees by placing 40 new employees in the office. These expansions by online payments companies are majorly aimed at meeting the rising demand in the country.
- As indicated in the graph below, the frequency of shopping has significantly increased. Further, the fashion sector has seen some improvements, especially concerning homeware, but demand for other types of shoes and garments remains low. However, most respondents pointed out that the accelerated digitization of businesses in Europe due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to continued growth in the e-commerce sector, which companies and consumers similarly promote. This leverages the e-commerce market in the country as well.
Bulgaria E-commerce Industry Overview
The Bulgaria E-Commerce Market is moderately competitive with various players in the market. The e-commerce market in the country is seeing the highest growth in various industries due to the high adoption of mobile phones and digitization. Also, newcomers in the market are innovating new technological solutions to retain the market share.
- November 2021 - eMAG's third showroom in Bulgaria welcomed its first customers at Level +1 Plovdiv Mall Plovdiv. After two locations in Sofia, the e-commerce platform further expands Bulgaria's showroom network. Therefore, customers can receive another convenient shopping channel and enjoy many additional benefits.
- September 2021 - Ikea has announced the FOURLIS Group, a Greek franchisor with IKEA rights in Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus. The new location is in the capital Mall of Sofia, which is different from the existing site. The store will be 1200 square meters. It offers a full range of over 8,000 products and is also available for online shopping.
Bulgaria E-commerce Market Leaders
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eMAG.bg
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Bazar.bg
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Decathlon
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IKEA
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H&M
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Bulgaria E-commerce Market News
- May 2022-Merkle, the premier data-driven, technology-enabled customer experience management (CXM) company for Dentsu, opens in Bulgaria, further establishing the nation as a major e-commerce hub in the region. The change is a part of Dentsu's network's broader restructuring, which strives to streamline and integrate its brand portfolio. To better serve three key business lines, it is intended to combine more than 160 brands into six leading brands.
- January 2022 - The Dutch trading platform group OLX announced it would work with Romanian technology startup Innoship to improve the order processing process in Romania, Bulgaria, and Portugal. With Innoship, OLX will benefit from the rapid onboarding of courier services in each market and real-time visibility throughout the delivery process. In addition, this partnership provides centralized dashboards to monitor and report on multiple performance indicators, providing instant access to various pickup and drop-off locations previously unavailable to OLX users.
Bulgaria E-commerce Market Report - Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
- 1.2 Scope of the Study
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4. MARKET INSIGHTS
- 4.1 Market Overview
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4.2 Industry Attractiveness-Porter's Five Forces Analysis
- 4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
- 4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
- 4.2.3 Threat of New Entrants
- 4.2.4 Threat of Substitute Products
- 4.2.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
- 4.3 Key Market Trends and Share of E-commerce of Total Retail Sector
- 4.4 Impact of COVID-19 on the E-commerce Sales
5. MARKET DYNAMICS
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5.1 Market Drivers
- 5.1.1 Digitalization of Payment Methods and Financial Services
- 5.1.2 Regulatory and Government Support
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5.2 Market Challenges
- 5.2.1 Lower Internet Penetration in Comparison to Neighboring Countries and Matured Economies
6. MARKET SEGMENTATION
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6.1 By B2C ecommerce
- 6.1.1 Market Segmentation - by Application
- 6.1.1.1 Beauty & Personal Care
- 6.1.1.2 Consumer Electronics
- 6.1.1.3 Fashion & Apparel
- 6.1.1.4 Food & Beverage
- 6.1.1.5 Furniture & Home
- 6.1.1.6 Others (Toys, DIY, Media, etc.)
- 6.2 By B2B ecommerce
7. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
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7.1 Company Profiles
- 7.1.1 The Body Shop International Limited
- 7.1.2 eMAG
- 7.1.3 Bazar.bg
- 7.1.4 Inter Ikea Systems BV
- 7.1.5 Decathlon
- 7.1.6 Technopolis
- 7.1.7 H&M
- 7.1.8 Fashiondays.bg
- 7.1.9 Obuvki.bg
- 7.1.10 Zora.bg
- 7.1.11 IKEA.bg
- *List Not Exhaustive
8. INVESTMENT ANALYSIS
9. FUTURE OUTLOOK OF THE MARKET
Bulgaria E-commerce Industry Segmentation
E-commerce marketing is a way to drive the business of selling products and services over the internet. The goal of e-commerce marketing is to increase traffic to online stores, turn visitors into paid customers, and retain them after purchase. The Bulgaria E-commerce Market is Segmented into B2C eCommerce (Beauty and Personal Care, Consumer Electronics, Fashion and Apparel, Food and Beverage, Furniture and Home), and B2B eCommerce. The market report covers the trends of the e-commerce market in the country; it also provides information on the major players in the region along with COVID-19 impact on the market.
| By B2C ecommerce | Market Segmentation - by Application | Beauty & Personal Care |
| Consumer Electronics | ||
| Fashion & Apparel | ||
| Food & Beverage | ||
| Furniture & Home | ||
| Others (Toys, DIY, Media, etc.) |
Bulgaria E-commerce Market Research FAQs
What is the current Bulgaria E-commerce Market size?
The Bulgaria E-commerce Market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.80% during the forecast period (2024-2029)
Who are the key players in Bulgaria E-commerce Market?
eMAG.bg, Bazar.bg, Decathlon, IKEA and H&M are the major companies operating in the Bulgaria E-commerce Market.
What years does this Bulgaria E-commerce Market cover?
The report covers the Bulgaria E-commerce Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The report also forecasts the Bulgaria E-commerce Market size for years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Bulgaria Electronic Retail Industry Report
Statistics for the 2024 Bulgaria Electronic Retail market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Bulgaria Electronic Retail analysis includes a market forecast outlook 2029 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
