Fierce Hypermarket Competition in Stara Zagora

The list of hypermarkets, supermarkets, outlets, food and home appliance chains in Bulgaria is growing constantly. Competition is fierce, and although Bulgaria has less than eight million inhabitants the race for their money has started. Here is an overview of the situation in the picturesque town of Stara Zagora.

“The foundation stone of the Stara Zagora Mall and Arena Cinema was laid today at 11 a.m. at 12, Nikola Petkov Boulevard, the economic portal of the Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora reports. Alexandra Group, operator of the Arena cinema chain, will put EUR 20 millions in the construction of Stara Zagora Mall. The 2-storey shopping complex with total area of 30,000 sq. m and over 100 stores, scheduled for completion in September next year, will be located near the stores of Technopolis and Mr. Bricolage, on the main road Sofia-Bourgas, in close proximity to the future Business Park.
Mall Stara Zagora is the first mall in the region of Stara Zagora – an area of rapid development in recent years. The region is very dynamic and continues to attract significant foreign investment. Mall Stara Zagora is part of the first retail park in the city. Neighboring the mall are a 7,200 m2 Mr. Bricolage (DIY) and a 4,200 m2 Technopolis (consumer electronics hypermarket). The ground floor provides a wide range of retail and services, while the entertainment facilities, restaurants and food court are located on the first floor. The upper level of the shopping mall boasts the first 6-screen cinema complex /KINO ARENA/ in Stara Zagora, a fitness center, bowling alleys, children’s playground, a bookstore, restaurants, cafés and a food court with more than 500 seats. The project is located on a main traffic artery in the eastern part of the city with excellent access to the Ring Road and to Trakia Highway, which connects Sofia with the Black Sea Coast. The location is very communicative and easily accessible by public and private transportation.
A parking area with more than 1,000 spaces caters to the needs of visitors and completes the experience for both regional and local customers.

Earlier this year it was reported that Germany’s BauMax retail company is planning to enter the market in Stara Zagora. “Austrian BauMax has started building a 12,000 sq. m outlet in the central Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora. The project is being implanted on a 25,000 sq. m. terrain acquired from the Bulgarian American Enterprise Fund, Pari Newspaper reports. The investment is expected to reach EUR 10 mln. By the end of 2008, BauMax plans to launch 4 new outlets in other Bulgarian cities. The company is an international home improvement chain with operations in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia and recently in Romania.”

Praktiker is one of the main companies in Europe for retail trade with articles of the do-it-yourself type. There are over 420 hypermarkets in 9 European countries and one of these countries is Bulgaria. There is a project for opening a new Praktiker hypermarket in the town of Stara Zagora. The funds invested in one hypermarket will be between 4-8 million euros depending on the size of the area and the building project itself. The project for Praktiker in Stara Zagora is going to spread on an area of 20,000-22,000 sq m.

The building of another hypermarket – Kaufland, started in the industrial zone of the town of Stara Zagora. The total area of the project is 7 000 sq. m. Kaufland hypermarkets offer a large selection of foodstuffs from regional producers and ecological and original products. The main advantage of the hypermarkets is in the section of fresh products: meat, cold cuts, cheese and milk products, fruit and vegetables. Kaufland can also offer its clients various non-food articles like chinaware, textiles, electric appliances, toys and seasonal goods.

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