Year 2026, Issue 1
Date published31.3.2026
Table of content
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Simeonka Petrova, Petranka Midova, Ivan Marinov, Zoya Ivanova, Tsvetelina Kabakchieva, Elena Valerieva Valcheva
Impact of Digital Retail Transformation on Online Purchase Models: a Study of Bulgarian ConsumersSummary: This study aims to present theoretical ideas and practical manifestations of the impact of the digital transformation of commerce. The focus is on consumer purchasing patterns and their dependence and redefinition by digital... This study aims to present theoretical ideas and practical manifestations of the impact of the digital transformation of commerce. The focus is on consumer purchasing patterns and their dependence and redefinition by digital technologies. The aim of the study is, on the basis of systematized theoretical arguments, to empirically validate a developed methodological framework for studying the influence of the digital transformation of trade on consumer online purchasing patterns and to formulate conclusions and generalizations based on the results obtained. Through a survey conducted in June - July 2025 of 154 Bulgarian consumers, designated as respondents, the necessary empirical data were collected. The interpretation of consumer behavior was predominantly associated with the patterns of online clothing purchases. The measurement of the analyzed correlations between selected factor variables of an economic, demographic and socio-psychological nature and outcome variables was carried out using a software product for computer processing - SPSS Statistics and the Excel program. The methodological framework of the study includes the application of the methods of descriptive analysis, chi -square analysis (Chi-square Test), the t-test method, the analysis of variance and the Shapiro-Wilk Test (Shapiro-Wilk Test), the method of linear regression and correlation. The results of the study show that the application of digital tools by retailers influences and determines consumer patterns of online purchase, highlighting certain similarities and differences between the studied consumers. The theoretical and practical significance of these results lies in retailers' better assessment of the potential benefits and challenges of transforming shopping towards improving the consumer experience in the context of digitalization.DOI: https://doi.org/10.58861/tae.di.2026.1.01 -
Dragomir Draganov
Setting the Official Poverty Line for the Country as a Challenge for Social Policy in BulgariaKeywords: poverty line, poverty measurement, social assistance, financial assistance for people with disabilitiesSummary: This study aims to determine whether the use of the official poverty line for the country as a tool for regulating access to social protection programs in Bulgaria and determining the amount of support has enhanced their... This study aims to determine whether the use of the official poverty line for the country as a tool for regulating access to social protection programs in Bulgaria and determining the amount of support has enhanced their effectiveness in reducing poverty, improved the adequacy of benefits, and broadened access to minimum income schemes. In this regard, it has been found that certain features of the method of setting the official poverty line make it difficult to achieve the expected results and create conditions for the relative impoverishment of recipients of social payments, access to and amount of which are linked to the poverty line. To overcome this challenge, it is proposed to improve the information availability on the poverty level and review the method of determining the poverty line in order to include an objective measure of minimum living needs.DOI: https://doi.org/10.58861/tae.di.2026.1.02 -
Elitsa Dimova
Artificial Intelligence as a Social Moderator of Superhuman and Another Type of Society. Is There Ethics in the Future?JEL: A12Keywords: artificial intelligence, man, civil rights, robot, ethics, dignity, graphene, graphene oxide, EUSummary: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a reality that, according to its development, different societies no longer only use, but also need to problematize. According to the philosophy that promotes and introduces it, it is a means of... Artificial intelligence (AI) is a reality that, according to its development, different societies no longer only use, but also need to problematize. According to the philosophy that promotes and introduces it, it is a means of improving people's lives and even a way of improving them as human beings. "Advanced physicality" is the ideology of dystopia, which wants to normalize our societies in a super-rational, utopian, but from an ethical point of view - inhuman direction. AI is gradually becoming a moderator of new social relations, in which the individual must defend his right to autonomous and independent existence. Ethics is not just a voluntary act of setting boundaries, it should be immanently inherent in a superhuman society where man can lose his identity.DOI: https://doi.org/10.58861/tae.di.2026.1.03 -
Elena Filipova
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Educational Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments: between Innovations and BarriersKeywords: visuàl impàirmånts, àrtificiàl intålligåncå, innîvàtivå tåchnîlîgiås, sîciàl inclusiîn, àdàptivå låàrning, sîciàl intågràtiînSummary: Thå àpplicàtiîn îf Àrtificiàl Intålligåncå (ÀI) in thå åducàtiîn îf påîplå with visuàl impàirmånts îffårs innîvàtivå sîlutiîns fîr imprîving àccåssibility, quàlity îf låàrning, ànd sîciàl intågràtiîn. This àrticlå åxplîrås thå rîlå... Thå àpplicàtiîn îf Àrtificiàl Intålligåncå (ÀI) in thå åducàtiîn îf påîplå with visuàl impàirmånts îffårs innîvàtivå sîlutiîns fîr imprîving àccåssibility, quàlity îf låàrning, ànd sîciàl intågràtiîn. This àrticlå åxplîrås thå rîlå îf ÀI-bàsåd tåchnîlîgiås in îvårcîming thå bàrriårs fàcåd by individuàls with visuàl impàirmånts in thåir åducàtiînàl jîurnåy. Kåy tåchnîlîgiås such às tåxt-tî-spååch syståms, îbjåct ànd scånå råcîgnitiîn, nàvigàtiîn tîîls, ànd pårsînàlizåd låàrning plàtfîrms àrå åxàminåd in tårms îf thåir åffåctivånåss ànd bånåfits. ÀI fîstårs gråàtår indåpåndåncå by ånàbling pårsînàlizåd låàrning åxpåriåncås ànd ånhàncåd àccåss tî infîrmàtiîn, suppîrting påîplå with visuàl impàirmånts in nàvigàting bîth physicàl ånvirînmånts ànd åducàtiînàl cîntånt. Hîwåvår, thå study àlsî discussås chàllångås rålàtåd tî tåchnîlîgicàl cîsts, àccåssibility, dàtà privàcy, ànd thå åthicàl implicàtiîns îf ÀI intågràtiîn. Futurå pårspåctivås åmphàsizå thå dåvålîpmånt îf àdàptivå åducàtiînàl syståms tàilîråd tî individuàl nååds, îffåring prîmising àdvàncåmånts in åducàtiînàl àccåssibility. Thrîugh intårdisciplinàry råsåàrch ànd inclusivå dåsign, ÀI càn fully råàlizå its pîtåntiàl às à trànsfîrmàtivå tîîl fîr imprîving åducàtiîn ànd prîmîting sîciàl intågràtiîn fîr påîplå with visuàl impàirmånts.DOI: https://doi.org/10.58861/tae.di.2026.1.04 -
Bancho Banov, Tsvetomir Tsvetkov
The Effect of Public Debt on GDP In EU Countries for the Period 2019-2024Keywords: public debt economic growth, GDPSummary: This article examines the effect of public debt on real GDP per capita in the European Union (EU) member states. The EU countries are divided into two groups: one comprising countries with public debt exceeding 60 percent of GDP,... This article examines the effect of public debt on real GDP per capita in the European Union (EU) member states. The EU countries are divided into two groups: one comprising countries with public debt exceeding 60 percent of GDP, and the other including countries with public debt below 60 percent of GDP. The primary objective of the article is to investigate the impact of public debt on GDP over the period 2019–2024. The main finding derived from the empirical analysis is that the effect of public debt on GDP is positive both in countries with debt up to 60 percent of GDP and in countries with excessive levels of public debt.DOI: https://doi.org/10.58861/tae.di.2026.1.05