Editing Plovdiv (section)

===Shopping and commerce===
The commercial sector is developing quickly. Shopping centers have been built mainly in the Central district and the district of Trakiya. Those include Shopping Center Grand,<ref>[http://plovdiv.imotibg.com/plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80-enno170932.html Grand Trade Center to open in Plovdiv]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011105414/http://plovdiv.imotibg.com/plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80-enno170932.html |date=11 October 2009 }}</ref> Market Center,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |url=http://big.bg/modules/news03/article.php?storyid=21452 |title=Пет големи търговски центъра слагат край на сергиите в центъра на Пловдив |publisher=Big.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720082819/http://big.bg/modules/news03/article.php?storyid=21452 |archive-date=20 July 2011  }}</ref> and two more all on the Kapitan Raycho Street,<ref name="autogenerated2"/> Forum in Trakiya, Excelsior, and others. Plovdiv has three large shopping centers: the €40&nbsp;million Mall of Plovdiv (opened 2009) with a shopping area of {{convert|22000|m2|2|abbr=on}}, 11 cinema halls, and parking for 700 cars;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.plovdiv24.com/news/21968.html|title=Construction of Mall of Plovdiv begins|date=18 December 2006|publisher=Plovdiv24.com|access-date=7 January 2011|archive-date=12 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612064436/http://www.plovdiv24.com/news/21968.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Markovo tepe Mall (opened 2016);<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comfort.bg/bg/public/news_2425_36.html |title=A Bulgarian-Israeli company to build a mall in Plovdiv |publisher=Comfort.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142759/http://www.comfort.bg/bg/public/news_2425_36.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Plovdiv Plaza Mall which is 6 stories high with 127 000 m<sup>2</sup> area, half of which is the parking lot and the rest is shopping area.

Due to the high demand for business office space, new office and commercial buildings have been built. Several hypermarkets have been built mainly on the outskirts of the city: [[Metro AG|Metro]], [[Kaufland]], [[Triumf (hypermarket)|Triumf]], [[Praktiker]], [[Billa (supermarket)|Billa]], [[Mr. Bricolage]], [[Baumax]], Technopolis, Technomarket Europa, and others. The main shopping area is the central street with its shops, cafés, and restaurants. A number of cafés, craftsmen workshops, and souvenir shops are in the Old Town and the small streets in the centre, known among the locals as "The Trap" ({{langx|bg|Капана}}).

The [[Plovdiv International Fair]], held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of {{convert|138000|m2|2|abbr=on}} located on a territory of {{convert|352000|m2|2|abbr=on}} on the northern banks of the Maristsa river.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fair.bg/bg/fair/ |title=Plovdiv International Fair |publisher=Fair.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706143020/http://www.fair.bg/bg/fair/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It attracts more than 600,000 visitors from many countries.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite book |last=Balabanov |first=G. |title=This is Bulgaria |location=Sofia |page=393 |language=bg, en |isbn=954-91672-1-6 |year=2005}}</ref>

The city has had a duty-free zone since 1987. It has a customs terminal handling cargo from trucks and trains.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Plovdiv Plaza.jpg|Mall Plovdiv Plaza
File:MallMakrovo.jpg|Mall Markovo tepe
File:Mall Plovdiv.jpg|Mall Plovdiv
File:Trade Center Forum, Trakiya, Plovdiv.JPG|Forum Trakia shopping center
</gallery>