Politics aside: Lukoil continues to be the most visited network of gas stations in Bulgaria – research

Lukoil continues to be the most visited network of gas stations in Bulgaria, according to the research conducted by ESTAT agency, surpassing OMV, Shell and others. Over the past 6 months, more than 2/3 of drivers have refueled at Lukoil gas stations. The consumption remains virtually unchanged compared to research results in January 2022.

In recognition ranking in 2023, rose to fourth place: almost all (95%) full-age citizens of the country have heard about this brand. Top-3 foreign companies are Kaufland, Lidl and Billa – the large FMCG-retailers.

It is important to note that in 2023 Lukoil has strengthened its leadership positions over its direct competitors and even managed to overtake mobile operators in terms of recognition.

Despite the current political situation, Bulgarian consumer sentiment has remained essentially unchanged and has had virtually no impact towards their preferences.

The Lukoil brand is the first to be mentioned by almost 11% of the population, and another 38% remember the company spontaneously (but not in the first place). When asked which foreign companies come to mind, Lukoil comes to mind mainly among men, people of active age, residents of regional cities and villages.

Four out of ten adult Bulgarians believe that Lukoil has a good reputation. The number of people sharing this statement decreased by 8 percentage points compared to January 2022. A similar decline is typical for almost all foreign companies included in the study, with the most significant differences observed among retailers.

Also in 2023, Lukoil records the highest result among all gas stations in terms of the index of willingness to recommend the brand (Net Promoter Score) – 6.6 out of 10. The willingness to recommend Lukoil is greater among men aged 30-39 and residents of regional cities.

It is important to note that the study showed that political aspects within Bulgaria have little impact on ordinary citizens. Such disconnection between the political class and the population is identified by all major polling agencies. And while politics solve their own problems, end users enjoy their usual measured life and do not pay attention to political squabbles.