Enter eMobility with BusStore
A used Mercedes-Benz eCitaro for Stadtwerke Eberbach.
Successful against the trend
BusStore Sofia concentrating on younger pre-owned vehicles
Three quarters of all the pre-owned buses sold in Bulgaria are ten years old or older. But the new BusStore in the capital, Sofia, is steering against this trend: by offering younger pre-owned Mercedes-Benz and Setra vehicles. All of them come with a quality pledge and needs-oriented consultation.
Krasimir Zahariev is an old hand. Over more than 18 years, he has got to know the ins and outs of the bus business like the back of his hand. He knows that bus operators are often not looking for a particular bus at all, but rather a solution for a transport task. And it exactly here that the bus pro has recourse to the services of BusStore Sofia. “If I receive a query from a customer, we first analyse exactly what their need is,” Zahariev explains. “In most cases, I can find the answer using the Europe-wide BusStore network and offer the customer exactly the right bus for them.”
An international range of pre-owned buses and coaches
While most Bulgarian used bus dealers procure vehicles in nearby Turkey, Zahariev has built up particularly good relationships with the BusStore in Greece and Romania. “These markets are similarly structured to that in Bulgaria, with highly comparable bus requirements,” he says. But buses for the Bulgarian market can also be found in Italy, Poland, France and Germany too.
A focus on younger vehicles
“Unlike the vast majority of dealers in Bulgaria, we only sell vehicles that are younger than ten years,” explains Zahariev. “All our buses have a documented history and, if they meet the relevant criteria, can receive the BusStore Premium classification”. BusStore Sofia is therefore aiming at bus companies that attach particular importance to quality and reliability. But industrial companies that take their staff to work and home in their own buses are also among the customers.
An effective base
“One further advantage for our customers is that we are able to offer professional repairs with original replacement parts in all the regions of Bulgaria,” Zahariev says. That is because BusStore Sofia is part of the Silver Star group of companies, which has operated four branches in Bulgaria since 2017 as a general representative for Daimler and Evobus. Founded in January 2020, BusStore Sofia is soon expected to expand. “The current location offers little space and we have to share it with new buses, cars and lorries,” Zahariev explains. A move to a new, larger site is already being planned.
Even though the market for high-quality pre-owned buses and coaches is still limited, this is the sector where Zahariev sees great growth potential. “Through being networked into the BusStore family, we have a range on offer that far outstrips that available within the country,” the BusStore sales expert says. “It’s a big plus for us – and for our customers.”
