Billa opens new store in Bulgaria, invests 16 mln euro in local network in 2022

The store, Billa's 147th in the country, spreads over 1,200 sq m in Karlovo's new retail park, Billa Bulgaria said in a statement on Thursday. The new site will create 30 jobs.

At the end of last year, Billa opened another store at the Srednogorie retail park in the same region, in line with a strategic goal to boost its presence in smaller populated areas across the country.

The latest expansion comes on the back of the opening of a third Billa store in Pernik, west of Sofia, the company's first in the southeastern town of Sliven and the launch of Billa's 55th store in Bulgaria's capital, all in the past two months.

In October, Billa Bulgaria reported a 22% annual jump in the January-September turnover to 877 million levs. The company said at the time that it is investing 32 million levs to open nine new stores and refurbish 12 others in full year 2022.

The Austria-based retailer has been active in Bulgaria for over 20 years and employs a workforce of more than 4,500.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)