Kaufland invests EUR 25 million in its 21st Sofia hypermarket and creates 90 jobs

Kaufland Bulgaria is opening its 21st hypermarket in Sofia, at 46 Lyublyana Street in the Ovcha Kupel II district, with an investment of EUR 25 million, Darik Business Review and Money.bg reported. The opening creates 90 new jobs and brings the number of the retailer's employees in the capital to nearly 1,800.

The store offers more than 24,000 food and non-food products on 2,812 square metres of sales space. It includes dedicated areas for high-protein and gluten-free products and self-service bulk nuts, a bakery and a service counter with more than 400 types of fresh meat, fish, sausages, dairy products and delicatessen goods, as well as shop-in-shop areas for some of the retailer's own brands.

For the first time in a Kaufland store, an 80-square-metre Zoo Center pet shop is opening on site. Other tenants include a pizza outlet, a pharmacy, a bill payment office and a coffee and juice bar, along with two bank cash machines and parcel lockers from two courier companies, according to Darik Business Review.

The store has nine self-service tills and six staffed checkouts. Its car park offers close to 200 spaces and the most powerful electric vehicle charging station in Kaufland's network, the company said. The site also includes a 1,100-square-metre Japanese garden.

The retailer marks 20 years in Sofia this year, during which it says it has invested more than EUR 300 million in the city, according to Darik Business Review's earlier report on 20 October.

For the Ovcha Kupel area in south-western Sofia, the opening adds a large food retailer and local jobs. For suppliers, a new hypermarket of this size means additional shelf space for Bulgarian producers of fresh and packaged food.