People in Bulgaria prefer locally manufactured goods

In the first year of Bulgaria’s EU membership, its people still prefer locally manufactured goods for their good quality and fair prices, a survey conducted by Alpha Research among Bulgarians aged 18 or over showed. It is entitled „Why We Buy Bulgarian Goods“ and was commissioned by Business Centre - Bulgaria, co-organizer of the Choose Bulgarian! Fair, which opened in Sofia on Friday.

Business Centre - Bulgaria CEO Yordanka Chavdarova presented the survey findings at a news conference. Over 55 per cent of respondents said they opted for Bulgarian-made goods for their good quality, 27.5 per cent did so for the attractive prices, and a mere 3.3 per cent said they avoided buying Bulgarian goods.

Some 46 per cent of respondents expect that now that Bulgaria is an EU member, the prices of goods and services will go up; 26 per cent expect to see better quality; 25 per cent predict that local companies will go bankrupt; and 6.5 per cent are afraid that the national taste and identity will be lost.

In a survey conducted among the 320 companies participating in the fair, 72 per cent said they did not invest in innovations. Most participants are small and medium-sized companies, whose main problems are recruitment, sales and unfair competition.

BTA