Janet Naydenova, Chairman of BEA, in TV Bloomberg
Last year was a turning point for e-commerce, with an average growth rate of 9%. Janet Naydenova, President of the Bulgarian E-Commerce Association (BEA), stated in the show "In development" hosted by Veronika Denizova.
"We need to acknowledge that we have a decline in GDP of about 5%, and the ratio of the volume of e-commerce to GDP is the main parameter with which we report the general development," Naydenova added.
"We are observing an increased e-commerce share in the overall economy of the country. For 2019, the ratio was about 1.53, and for 2020, it is 1.73. "
The guest said that in some segments there is a reported 100% growth.
"Online food sales have grown by over 100%. For many years, supermarkets have invested in infrastructure, human resources, and logistics. The pandemic showed that those were the necessary steps to meet the increased demand now. "
According to Naidenova, the percentage of people offering freelance services has also increased.
In 2021, BEA expects the trends from 2020 to continue.
"We expect 2021 to be the year of the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector, as it marks 100% growth in the previous year. Also, a large number of online retailers will implement innovations in their online stores, such as artificial intelligence, personalization and will work to improve the consumer experience, " Naydenova concluded.
According to her, more and more people from the millennial generation will turn to brands that offer sustainable goods and services that protect the environment.
