Econt Express, or simply Econt, is a Bulgarian company providing courier, logistics, and payment services, as well as e-commerce. The company began operations in Ruse in 1993. It transports shipments for individual and business customers and provides services in Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. On July 13, 1993, Nikolay Sabev and two other businessmen from Karlovo and Varna established Econt’s predecessor, the freight forwarding company Econt Trans. It operates on domestic and international markets. Its customers are mainly Bulgarian companies that work with Russian and Ukrainian markets.
In 1997, the company obtained a courier license, but began courier operations in 2000. Initially, it had offices in six cities: Ruse, Sofia, Varna, Pleven, Burgas, and Plovdiv. By December 2002, the company had sent approximately 1,588 shipments. A year later, Econt sent 79,533 shipments. In 2007, it obtained a license to offer universal postal services and, with it, the task of providing coverage throughout the country. In 2008, Nikolay Sabev introduced a partnership program, and the company transitioned from a franchise to a commercial partnership.
In 2011, the company succeeded in making the profession of “courier” officially recognized in Bulgaria. Econt also opened a Vocational Training Center (VTC), which is an external unit and has a model similar to that of a private school. Not only future Econt employees can train there, but also anyone who intends to become a courier.
In 2017, the company’s annual revenue amounted to BGN 145 million.
In 2019, Lora Subeva became CEO, and the name was changed from Econt Express to Econt.
The main services are courier, postal, cargo, and international. The company also offers administrative services and other solutions for businesses and private customers. Documents and shipments are sent to any location in Bulgaria. The shipment is delivered to the recipient on the next business day. Small towns that are served on a schedule are an exception. Additional services are offered in addition to the main courier service: Cash on delivery, Return receipt, Exact time, Disposal, Transport with a cooler bag, Cost sharing, and others.
Econt offers the option of sending registered and unregistered letters (up to 2 kg) and parcels (up to 20 kg), which arrive at their recipients on the next business day. Exceptions to this rule are locations with scheduled service. Additional services can be used in addition to the basic postal service: cash on delivery, return receipt, two-way shipment, and others. Possibility to send larger shipments weighing from 1 to 10 tons. The service includes: non-palletized shipments, cargo pallets, and cargo shipments with non-standard dimensions. In addition to Bulgaria, Econt also provides services in Greece and Romania. The company is building a network of local transport companies outside Bulgaria with which it has partnerships. In 2002, the company created the Cash on Delivery service. With this service, prepayment is no longer required to receive the ordered goods. In 2002, the Disposal service was also introduced. It allows you to change the conditions for receiving a shipment—day, time, address, and others. In 2014, sample shipments became a mandatory element of Econt’s offices. In 2006, the e-Econt electronic office was created. It allows users to prepare shipment documents online and make inquiries easily. It is a virtual transport and logistics center where various delivery management services can be used. In 2006, online retailers were looking for a way to make things easier for their customers by organizing parcel deliveries. Econt developed integration modules, connecting online store platforms with its own. Orders grew, and by 2011, Econt was working with 3,000 online stores.
In 2014, Econt introduced automated postal stations – Econtomats. They allow shipments to be sent or received at any time of the day or night.
