Bulgaria’s Fantastico invests 18 mln euro in warehouse expansion

Sofia: Bulgarian supermarket operator Fantastico Group said it has expanded its logistics centre near the capital Sofia, following an investment of 36 million levs ($20 million/18.4 million euro).

The facility, located near the town of Elin Pelin, now spans 36,000 square metres and includes new warehouse spaces for goods requiring temperature storage, Fantastico said in a press release last week.

The initiative will optimise the delivery process, significantly reducing delivery times to the chain’s supermarkets, and facilitate the development of Fantastico in new markets. The company’s processing capacity will also increase to 150-200 tonnes of goods per day.

“The facility is strategic because it gives us the freedom to develop our retail network both in Sofia and in other cities, offering the assortment we want without being dependent on the logistical capabilities of our partners,” Fantastico Group CEO Svetoslav Gavrilov said.

Additionally, the project included the construction of a 980 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system for own use, adding to the company’s 12 existing PV plants.

“The total installed capacity of Fantastico Group now exceeds 2.5 MWp”, Fantastico director of construction Martin Mandev said.

Local architecture firm IPA was the main designer of the warehouse expansion, while construction company Barage Group served as the main contractor.

In April, Fantastico said it started the construction of a shopping complex worth over 23 million levs in Sofia.

Fantastico Group operates 45 supermarkets, most of which are located in Sofia and towns near the capital.