The land beneath Kaufland stores in Bulgaria is not owned by the same entity in every city. The chain owns a significant share of its locations and purchases plots for its new hypermarkets, but it also has stores located within larger privately owned complexes.
The most direct answer came from the now-former executive director of Kaufland Bulgaria, Mikhail Petrov. “Our stores are not rented; they are our property,” he said during a public discussion on the state of retail chains. According to him, the company has invested around €1 billion in its store network.
Plots Purchased by the Company
Several transactions have been documented in which Kaufland acquired the land directly. In October 2013, the company won the Shumen Municipality tender for 15 decares in the area of the former “Heavy Regiment” military base. The price was BGN 1.75 million, and after paying the amount, the company became the owner of the property. Under the terms of the tender, it undertook to build a hypermarket, a market for agricultural produce, a playground and a car park.
In Sofia, the chain also purchased a 15.4-decare plot in the “Dianabad-East” area. The transaction took place on December 3, 2021, and the stated price was BGN 21.5 million excluding VAT. A new hypermarket has been built on the site on G. M. Dimitrov Boulevard.
Some Stores Are Also Located in Third-Party Complexes
For other stores, the picture is different. The new “Kaufland-Teatralna” location in Sofia is part of the “Teatralna Park Residence” residential complex, rather than a standalone hypermarket on a separate plot. Investor Veliko Zhelev acquired the more than 12.3-decare plot on which the complex, featuring residential units and commercial space, was built.
A similar model appears to be taking shape in Ruse. The 26,621-square-metre plot in the “Zdravets Iztok” district was acquired in 2022 by “Keramik Grup,” the owner of the “Alati” chain. In 2026, the local publication “Utro” reported that the plot had been divided and that a retail zone was being prepared, with a Kaufland store expected to be built there. The company had not officially confirmed the information at the time of publication.
This means that the answer to the question “who owns the land beneath Kaufland stores” depends on the specific address. At some hypermarkets, the plot was purchased by the company itself; at others, the store is part of a larger private property or complex. A complete picture can be obtained only by checking the title deeds and registrations for each individual property.