The collapse of the Bulgarian economy along with the change of the consumers' demand gave opportunity for the invasion of hundreds of small and bigger Greek trade companies. Their main advantage is the experience with the trade in the conditions of market economy and the contacts with international producers. A typical example is the trade with the most massive commodities - food, cosmetics and perfumery, furnishing and electric appliances. In the official list of the Greek Embassy these companies occupy more than a half of the list: Adonis Mega, Amperel, Axon and Sarantis (perfumery and cosmetics). The greater financial opportunities, the contacts with international companies and the lack of praised Bulgarian companies of good market approach forced many of the big international companies to prefer Greek partners instead of Bulgarian.
Source: Capital (27.11.2000)

Greek company Fourlis SA, which holds the franchise license in Greece and Cyprus for the world's biggest home furnishing retailer Ikea, wants to bid for Ikea franchises in the Balkans, Bulgaria included, news agency Bloomberg reported. Fourlis manager for Bulgaria Peter Georgiev confirmed the news. 'Fourlis and Ikea have held preliminary talks but there is no specific arrangement for the time being,' Georgiev said. If Ikea agrees to grant the Bulgarian franchise to the Greek company, the preparations for the launch of the flagship outlet will take two years, Georgiev explained. The Athens-based company wants to introduce Ikea in Romania, Serbia and Macedonia, as well, Bloomberg reports. Fourlis also holds a franchise licence for sportswear chain Intersport. The chain plans to unveil its first shop in Sofia next spring, to be followed by rollouts in Pleven or Rousse, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv and a second outlet in the Bulgarian capital.
Source: Dnevnik (23.12.2005)

For another year, apparel sales by value dominate the market. If five years ago shoes represented a quarter of the market, in 2021 their share has already shrunk to 16%. Probably, to a certain extent, the data here is distorted by the absence of "Decathlon Bulgaria" (4) from the references on the product groups for clothes and shoes, since in the last two years the chain grouped the information about its sales in two other categories - those of the goods for the free time and recreation and sports and camping equipment. With its rapid expansion, the Polish chain Pepco already occupies the top position in the ranking of the largest fashion retailers in the country. In 2021, the company "Pepco Bulgaria" (1) reports BGN 129.1 million in revenue from clothing sales, which is 88% more than a year earlier. The chain is among the most dynamically growing retailers of non-food goods in Europe, including the Bulgarian market. In the past year, 39 new stores were opened here, bringing their number to 129. The profit is also growing rapidly and for 2021 it is already 16.3 million BGN compared to 4.7 million BGN a year earlier, and the number of employees has increased to 612 people. By the end of September 2022, the employees are already over 900, with over 90% of them being women, and that they see potential for more than 200 stores on the Bulgarian market. After four consecutive years at the top, the Swedish fashion giant H&M is giving up its leadership position. In Bulgaria, the chain operates through the company "H & M Hennes & Mauritz" (2), which in 2021 reported almost BGN 129 million turnover from clothing sales. The result is 20% better on an annual basis, but actually remains lower compared to the reported BGN 137 million in the pre-crisis 2019. The Iveda H&M Group is the owner of the brands H&M, H&M Home, COS, Monkl, Arket, Weekday, & Other stories and A Found. There are currently 19 sites in the country - two fewer than on November 30, 2020, when the Swedish parent group's 2020 financial year ended. The top three is completed by the local subsidiary of Turkey's LC Waikiki, which repeats its ranking from a year ago. In 2021, the company "LC Waikiki Retail BG" (3) reports a 35% growth in its sales of clothing to BGN 112.7 million. "The company has 31 stores in Bulgaria. We recently opened sites in Sliven (second for the city) and Plovdiv (fourth). By the end of the year, we will open two more - in Stara Zagora (second) and Pazardzhik", commented Vladislav Tanchev, manager of LC Waikiki for Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia, adding that for 2023 it is planned the opening of four more stores in the country - in Dobrich (second), Silistra, Haskovo (second) and Pernik. According to the manager, the company will end this year with about 10% growth in sales, and a similar increase is expected in the next year as well. However, the real leader of the fashion market in Bulgaria remains the Spanish group Inditex, under whose umbrella are the brands Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home. The group is present on the Bulgarian market with all its brands, and each of them is managed through an independent company. In 2021, the amount of their total revenue from sales of clothes and shoes is over BGN 180 million, with which Inditex is actually ahead of everyone else in the ranking. Six of the seven subsidiaries are in the top 50 of the largest retailers of fashion goods, with the highest ranking being "Zara Bulgaria" (5) with a turnover of BGN 108 million for the past year, which is a 65% increase compared to the year before -early. In fact, all seven domestic companies achieved double-digit growth in their apparel and footwear sales revenue in 2021 after double-digit declines in pandemic 2020, as with most of them, with the exception of Massimo Dutti Bulgaria (24) and Pool & Bear Bulgaria" (36), the recovery in nominal terms is up to above the levels of 2019. One of the companies from the group - "Oisho Bulgaria" is the champion in terms of profitability among the top 50 with an achieved rate of profit of 25.2 cents for every lev of income made. The turnover of "Decathlon Bulgaria" (4) grew by 27% for the past 12 months, compared to an 8% increase in the previous year. The profit also grew to BGN 4.5 million against BGN 3.3 million for 2020, and the number of employees is now 325. At the beginning of 2021, the local subsidiary of the French Decathlon chain opened a new store in the center of Sofia, and currently there are ten commercial outlets in the country, while also developing online sales. Although slightly more modest, double-digit growth was also achieved by "Sport-depot" (7), where the increase in revenue from sales of clothing and shoes was 11.5% to BGN 75.2 million. The number of retail outlets in the country is 28. Most of the other sports goods retailers in the top 50 can also boast of double-digit growth rates. At "Sport Vision" (12), sales increased by 40% to BGN 42.5 million. The multi-brand chain is part of the Serbian Sport group Time Balkans, which from mid-2020 also became the exclusive distributor of Nike for Bulgaria and Romania, replacing the Greek Folli Follie, whose reputation in the region suffered after a scandal with the financial results of the owner family from 2018. The sole representation of Nike for Bulgaria is through the company "Sport Time EU" (37), which, understandably, recorded a three-digit jump in its revenues in its first full year of operation on the local market. The third consecutive year of growth is reported by the online retailer of sports shoes "Shop Sektor" (20). In 2021, its revenues increased by 31.7% to BGN 21.6 million, and profit doubled to BGN 1.5 million. "Jenko - Bulgaria" (33), which manages the sites of the French Intersport chain in the country, is among the few sports goods retailers whose business has shrunk in 2020, and it has been noticeable. In 2021, however, the company managed to catch up with the pandemic decline and, with a growth of 35% to BGN 13.8 million, reached and minimally exceeded its sales of clothing and shoes from 2019. Recovery is also a fact in the footwear segment, albeit at a more moderate pace. With the exception of the already mentioned "Ef Ef Group Bulgaria" (23) and "Adidas Bulgaria" (40), all other traders specialized in this sector saw an increase in their income last year. In half of them, however, sales still cannot reach the levels before the pandemic - in this group are, for example, "Deichman footwear trade" (17), which until a few years ago was the leader in the segment, "Mat - old BG" (29), "Humanik" (41), the Haskovo "Jordans" (47), which produces the brands Paolo Botticelli, Fair lady, Cool new, Giraffe, H-8, Guardi, Gpoint. In addition to the retailers enjoying the momentum from the sports boom, such as "Sport-depo", "Shop Sector" and "Jenko - Bulgaria", the group of those who have recovered their pre-pandemic levels includes igis like Nikolay Todorov's TendenZ and Poland's CCC. The sales of the former go through several companies, being united for the purposes of the ranking under the umbrella of "Star Alliance" (15) - in 2021, the total turnover grows by 109% to BGN 27 million. The increase in the revenues of "SCC Shoes Bulgaria" (25) is by 52% to BGN 19 million.
Source: Capital (28.11.2022)

The Greek retail group Fourlis—which manages a portfolio of international brands in Southeast Europe, including INTERSPORT, Foot Locker, IKEA, and Holland & Barrett—is undertaking a major restructuring of its store network through the end of this year, with plans to close approximately 10 loss-making locations. Romania will be the most significantly affected market. At the same time, the group continues to invest in business development and is preparing new, smaller IKEA stores in Greece, according to local media outlet Money Buzz. This shift is part of a broader transformation aimed at optimizing Fourlis's physical store network and operational structure. The retail giant expects these measures to cut costs and improve financial results by approximately ˆ3.5 million annually starting in 2027. Two INTERSPORT stores in Romania and one IKEA store in Piraeus, Greece, have already been closed. The company notes that the process will affect locations across all its markets of operation, including Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. The combined turnover of the stores slated for closure is estimated at between ˆ8 million and ˆ10 million. For the Bulgarian market, this restructuring does not automatically signal a retreat; on the contrary, Fourlis maintains a significant physical and digital presence. The company currently operates four physical IKEA stores and three order-and-pickup points in Bulgaria. Additionally, the group is developing the INTERSPORT and Foot Locker brands, making Bulgaria one of the markets where Fourlis operates multiple distinct international retail formats. Meanwhile, the retail giant is restructuring its business at a regional level. In August, Fourlis also announced the sale of its stake in Sofia South Ring Mall for ˆ49.35 million—a deal the company expects to enhance its financial flexibility and allow for a stronger focus on its core operations and future growth. Currently, Fourlis operates 21 IKEA stores, 124 INTERSPORT outlets, 20 Foot Locker stores, and 10 Holland & Barrett locations across Southeast Europe. The group has a presence in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus, while also gradually expanding its geographic reach through Foot Locker into Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Source: money.bg (15.09.2026)