Sales and discounts in Bulgaria: Where and how to find them?

You are an international student in Bulgaria and you want to take advantage of all good deals throughout the year? Living on a student budget in Bulgaria will definitely make you more interested in where and how to find sales and discounts in Bulgarian shopping malls or supermarkets, so here are our five suggestions:

1. Supermarkets in Bulgaria

There is not a specific day when food or drinks in Bulgarian supermarkets are cheaper than usual. However, we definitely recommend avoiding the rush hours (between 6 and 8 PM) and the weekends - this is when most people go grocery shopping so it is more likely that the cheapest/best food will be already gone. Also, you can buy food in small local shops outside the city centre or open fruit and vegetable markets where prices are usually lower.

The second thing you can do is follow broshura.bg (they have mobile app too) - the website is unfortunately available only in Bulgarian language, but it gives you weekly updates about discounts in several big supermarkets (Fantastico, Lidl, T Market, etc.) but also other shops like Technopolis and Mr. Bricolage. Still, all brochures are illustrated so if you don't speak Bulgarian language very well, you will still be able to understand what is currently on sale and how much it costs.

Finally, one of the biggest supermarkets in Bulgaria, Billa, offers a Billa card (free of charge) - it gives you a discount for food marked with "Billa card" (there are plenty of deals!). The only thing you need to do is ask for a Billa card at the cashier.

2. Shopping malls in Bulgaria

Shopping malls in Bulgaria usually have very cool websites available in both Bulgarian and English language (e.g. Paradise Center, Bulgaria Mall, The Mall, Mall of Sofia, etc.)! And their websites are the place where you will find a "blog/news" category where weekly/monthly sales of ALL shops will be announced!

Also, you can sign up for their newsletter - this way you don't have to check their website very often but you will receive all information via email!

3. Restaurants and clothes shops in Bulgaria

The social media pages of restaurants and shops are undoubtedly the best source for finding out about sales and discounts! What you need to do is simply follow your favourite shop, restaurant or brand on Facebook/Instagram (make sure it is the Bulgarian page, not the international one, so that they announce sales that take place in Bulgaria). There the marketing team of the respective shop or restaurant will announce all cool events or sales (e.g. "All you can eat for..." or "Black Friday Sale") that are currently happening or will take place soon! Unfortunately, it is very likely that information will be provided in Bulgarian language, so you should definitely keep an eye out!

Also, there are many restaurants that give you a coupon for your next time you order something, offer deals depending on the weekday (simply because some days they have more/less work) or charge you less if you order online (e.g. Domino's pizza). Hence, check out the websites of your favourite places and look for deals!

PS: When it comes to discounts at restaurants, you can also check rezzo.bg (available in English) - it is a website where you can make a reservation for different places and take advantage of numerous discounts! 

4. Useful websites for discounts in Bulgaria

Again (unfortunately), the following websites are available only in Bulgarian language but they are the ultimate guide for finding cool discounts for all kinds of activities - SPA, holidays, extreme sports, cultural events, etc.! We talk about grabo.bg and vsichkioferti.bg - you can use them if you are wondering what to do over the weekend or when looking for inspiration for presents (the first website offers discounts for more than 16 fields, incl. eating outside, holidays, fun, cars)! 

If you are interested in finding a cool discount in one of those fields, ask a local to translate or use Google translate and explore all opportunities! Under every offer there is information about its expiration date, what it includes and what it doesn't. Afterwards, you just mark you want to use the discount and you can usually pay via bank transfer or at the offices of EasyPay in Bulgaria. Keep in mind you have a deadline to make the payment!

PS: If you are looking for new shoes or are a fashion lover but would like to stay on a budget, we can recommend for you to check out websites such as obuvki.bg and fashiondays.bg to find trendy stuff at reasonable prices!

5. Winter and summer sales in Bulgaria

Of course, just like in every other country, there are plenty of sales after a specific season is (almost) over. So if you don't really need to buy something straight away, why don't you wait a couple of months and buy it for a much cheaper price? For instance, clothes and shoe shops may offer up to 50% discount on winter shoes or warm clothes after February! The same goes for the end of summer - around September or October all clothes and shoes for the autumn season will be a bit expensive, but the chance that summer stuff have discounts is huge!

Unfortunately, if you do this, you risk that a cloth in one of the most common sizes might be gone or next year when you end up wearing these stuff they are no longer trendy or no longer fit you. Hence, you can also consider being an early bird - be prepared for each season by buying things a few months in advance (e.g. buy your summer flip flops or swimming clothes in spring) - the prices will definitely be cheaper!

6. Second-hand shops and websites in Bulgaria

The biggest platform for second-hand things in Bulgaria is olx.bg - it is the website where you can find pretty much everything (ranging from a new bike to old magazines, a cat or a carpet). The website is available in Bulgarian language but if you don't want to spend a fortune on something and you speak basic Bulgarian language, you will be just fine!

Last but not least, there are second-hand shops in each city (use Google search) - why don't you check them out?