Kaufland Bulgaria presented its first national own line of products from entirely Bulgarian manufacturers. The brand is called "Bray!" and launched with 61 products in 4 categories: dairy and meat products, staple foods and beverages, and pasta. All of them are the work of 20 Bulgarian producers from 15 regions of the country. Among them are both long-standing and trusted partners of Kaufland, as well as new ones with whom the company is cooperating for the first time. In this way, the total number of domestic manufacturers that produce the retail chain's own brands for the local market becomes a total of 30 – another proof of the advantage that the company always gives to domestic production.
"We put all our 15 years of experience to date and the desire to work with an even greater focus on the native, as always side by side with Bulgarian producers, into "Bray!". Each product in the assortment is a symbol of the traditional Bulgarian taste, which all of us as Bulgarian consumers are looking for", shares Ivan Chernev, executive director of Kaufland Bulgaria
"Bray!" is a continuation of Kaufland Bulgaria's aspiration to confirm products with a national taste and recipes traditional for the Bulgarian table. In this way, the company supports domestically produced goods and offers quality Bulgarian products that the native consumer values and seeks.
The "Bray!" brand started with 15 meat products produced in the regions of Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Dobrich, Pazardzhik and Plovdiv. The brand's fresh meat products are entirely of the "Stara Planina" standard, and among the others there are those with a protected geographical indication, such as the Gornooryakhovsky sujuk, made according to a traditional recipe, and others with a traditionally specific character, such as the "Elena" fillet and the Panagyur sausage.
The range of the brand includes 8 dairy products from the village of Zamfirovo, Montana region and the regions of Sofia, Sliven and Haskovo. Customers will find dairy products with entirely Bulgarian raw materials, and the sour milks comply with the national standard for Bulgarian yogurt BDS. The category also includes "Bray!" eggs from free-range hens and boza with Bulgarian wheat, without preservatives and sweeteners.
The main category of "Bray!" includes 37 products, among which 5 types of coarsely ground lutenitsa made from pepper and eggplant grown on native soil. The category also includes an exceptional variety of 11 types of homemade sweets, each made with fully Bulgarian fruits from producers with established traditions from the Plovdiv region. The number is supplemented by 6 types of honey, 3 types of wine with specific varieties from the Thracian lowland, sunflower tahini halva, Turkish delight, delicate salads, minced crusts and others.
Currently, the brand also offers rustic bread from fertile Dobruja, made with Bulgarian flour.
In order to maximize transparency and informed customer choice, information about each product is included on its label - from the origin and manufacturer of the product, to the description of each raw material used.
Kaufland Bulgaria is developing its first national own line "Bray!" within two years. The campaign started in 2018, researching the market well and, together with a team of specialists, organized hundreds of tastings of native products with the aim of choosing the best possible reference for the brand's products.
A major factor in the final selection of manufacturers to create "Bray!" side by side with the company is the possibility to produce certified production in the required volumes. The final selection was made through a transparent competition with criteria clearly set by the trade chain for quality and scale of production. Kaufland requires from producers internationally recognized certificates of quality and work with own brands, and for products such as fresh meat and sausages, the company also requires an additional independent external audit.
Kaufland will test the products under the "Bray" brand regularly in a Bulgarian accredited laboratory at least 4 times a year, and the meat products will pass control tests 8 times a year.
Only in the first week since it has been on the market, the brand has seen remarkable consumer interest. Within the past 7 days, the company reports sales of 37 tons of Bray yogurt, or 94 thousand buckets. The various types of lutenitsa are also of great interest, with a total of 25,000 jars sold in 7 days, a total of 20,000 jars of home-made sweet and a total of 12,000 pieces of Gornooryakhov sujuk and dry bacon.
By the end of the year, Kaufland Bulgaria plans to double the assortment of "Bray!", maintaining the good ratio between high quality and competitive price.
