Consumer Protection Commission fines three retail chains €95,000

The Consumer Protection Commission issued €95,000 in total sanctions against three major retail chains in Bulgaria over unfair commercial practices, including phantom promotions and false country-of-origin labeling, bntnews.bg reported on October 6, 2026.

Sanctions Over Missing Promotion Items

Inspectors targeted multiple locations across Sofia and the rest of the country in an ongoing sweep. At one retail chain, checkers found an active promotion for pure butter where the product remained entirely unavailable to shoppers throughout the campaign window, according to bntnews.bg. Because that same chain ignored a binding order issued by the Consumer Protection Commission back in 2015 regarding the exact same violation, regulators applied the maximum statutory fine.

A second chain faced an identical penalty under parallel circumstances. Mediapool.bg reported that inspectors discovered a promotional campaign for sugar where store shelves held no stock of the item during the sale period. Regulators grounded the maximum penalty size on a previous compliance order issued against that retailer in 2016.

Retailers Face Sanctions for Misleading Vegetable Origins

A third retail chain received the maximum legal sanction for a different deceptive practice. Bgonair noted that inspectors uncovered fresh vegetables sold with false country-of-origin declarations designed to mislead buyers.

Consumer Purchasing Power Pressures

Consumer Protection Commission chair Maya Manolova stated that while income levels have risen recently, Bulgaria’s overall purchasing power sits at 68% of the European Union average, while food price levels have climbed to 93% of the European average, nova.bg reported. Regulators plan to expand oversight into other service sectors, including mobile operators and banking institutions, following mounting customer complaints regarding unilateral fee increases and uneven contractual clauses.