The boycott of retail chains is a signal to the state - what to do to better regulate the market.
This was told to the Bulgarian National Radio by economist Rumen Galabinov, former deputy chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission.
"I think there is reason for complaints about prices, but at the same time we should not overestimate such initiatives, because they are short-term and concern essential goods that we cannot limit ourselves to not buying for a long time. It's about a boycott for a week or two.
The protests are not addressed only to traders, he emphasized:
"Consumer anger is not directed at one specific retail chain, but in general - because of high prices. That's why I think that the reference of this protest is actually to the state with its regulators, commissions, agencies, which are part of the state machine for supervision and control of the market. The market is a good thing, but it cannot develop on its own and as it pleases".
According to Galabinov, trade has changed a lot in Bulgaria over the past 20 years:
"What is the European and global trend - small neighborhood shops are becoming boutiques, farmers' shops, and mass shopping is from large retail chains".
Prices are outpacing incomes and this is a fact, the economist said.
According to him, the introduction of marginal trade markups has a temporary effect:
"This was applied as an administrative measure, it is not a trade measure, but it has a temporary effect, like the effect of a ball that, after being dipped in water, shoots up at a later moment. This deferred consumption due to the boycott will take place later, it cannot fail to take place. And then prices may increase".