Wolt’s first year in Bulgaria, by the numbers

More than 3.5 million kilometres of journeys avoided,

and over 57 years of time saved: that is Wolt’s calculation for its first year in Bulgaria. Beginning with deliveries in Sofia, the local-commerce platform expanded into Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven, Blagoevgrad, Burgas and Stara Zagora, connecting customers with restaurants and other shops through its app. In its first-anniversary figures, the company estimates that customers avoided more than 3.5 million kilometres of travel, roughly four and a half return trips to the Moon. It puts the time saved at over 500,000 hours, or more than 57 years: time for family, friends or anything other than running errands. These are the company’s estimates, rather than independently measured savings.

“Wolt’s rapid development in Bulgaria confirms the potential of our market,” says Ivaylo Netsov, Wolt Bulgaria’s Country Lead. “We began with the ambition to build something meaningful: a platform that creates value for customers, merchants and courier partners, rather than simply another delivery option. Within a year we reached seven cities, and we can see a real change. People appreciate convenient access to their neighbourhood, while local businesses use Wolt to reach new customers and grow beyond their physical premises. This is only the beginning. Our focus is on continuing to earn people’s trust and expanding their choices, city by city, partner by partner.”

What did Bulgaria order most?

Restaurant orders remained central to Wolt’s Bulgarian business. Burgers topped the company’s national food-category ranking, followed by fast food, pizza, salads, sandwiches, chips, döner, chicken, kebabs and pasta. Retail and groceries accounted for a growing share of orders as customers turned to the app for everyday essentials, quick purchases and last-minute needs.

Partnerships with McDonald’s, KFC, Fantastico and local restaurants helped businesses reach customers beyond their own premises.

Consistency is what turns a delivery app into an everyday habit.

For its first year, Wolt reported that more than 94% of deliveries met its “high-quality” measure, with an average delivery time of around 36 minutes. The original announcement did not define that quality measure. The company also highlighted the benefits available through its Wolt+ subscription. As a thank-you to customers, merchants and courier partners,

the anniversary campaign included special offers and discounts in the app.

Those offers belonged to the anniversary period and should not be assumed to remain available. The broader story is the growing familiarity of the blue delivery bags, and the way local shops and restaurants are becoming part of people’s digital as well as physical neighbourhoods.

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