Romania

Grocery retailers dominate sales in 2023

After several years of accelerated evolution, 2023 was a challenging year for e-commerce in Romania.

In 2023, hypermarkets in Romania continued to see retail value growth; however, footfall declined. The social function of hypermarkets before COVID-19 was a place for shopping and entertainment. This has diminished significantly since 2021, with the…

In 2023, home product specialists in Romania showcased positive growth driven by home improvement and gardening stores. Consumers in Romania have showcased a rising interest in DIY and gardening, which began during home seclusion and the outbreak of…

Within health and beauty specialist retailers in Romania in 2023, chemists/pharmacies held the most significant retail value sales by far. These outlets have the largest number of stores, with a strong sales position that continued to be in place…

In 2023, general merchandise stores in Romania were represented in totality by variety stores. However, variety stores is an underdeveloped retail channel, which remains unfamiliar to most local consumers. Variety stores have never really developed…

Strong, double-digit retail value growth for discounters in Romania in 2023 resulted from heightened footfall driven by rising inflation. As bills rose, consumers were forced to reevaluate their spending habits, including migrating to other channels…

The decline of direct selling in 2023 in Romania was a continuation of the results noted in 2022. Much of this decline was due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, which began in March 2022, and resulted in a strong uplift of consumers in…

The high growth for convenience retailers in 2023 in Romania, was driven by rising interest in proximity shopping. Price growth over the level of inflation limited consumers' purchases to basic food items. Reduction of purchasing power due to…

Following strong growth during COVID-19, in 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Romania registered a downward trend. For larger appliances, sales were sustained in 2023 as consumers applied for vouchers through a scrappage scheme, driving…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Romania recorded strong, double-digit retail value growth in 2023. This positive performance is partly driven by consumers returning to physical stores, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in March 2022. The…

Overall, retail volume sales of toilet care rose moderately in 2023. As in 2022, this was due to the performance of the dominant type, toilet liquids/foam, and rim liquids, with other categories continuing to see reduced or negligible retail volume…

While the COVID-19 pandemic stimulated surface care demand, with more consumption opportunities, a level of maturity and high inflation slowed down the category performance towards the end of the review period. In addition, consumers went out more…

The demand for polishes continued on a downward trajectory in 2023. These products were considered non-essential or obsolete by a large share of the consumer base, especially younger people. Furthermore, substitution and cannibalisation continued to…

In 2023, laundry care registered a modest overall decline in retail volume terms, although some categories, such as tablet detergents and liquid detergents, spot and stain removers and "other" laundry aids saw increases. The decline in the largest…

Despite strong pressure on consumer purchasing power and soaring retail current unit prices, home insecticides registered a retail volume sales increase in 2023. While marginal overall, all categories, bar the mature spray/aerosol format, posted…

High inflation continued to exert strong pressure on the demand for home care in Romania in 2023, with retail current unit prices rising across all categories. Increases in the costs of raw materials and utilities put pressure on manufacturers,…

The positive performance of dishwashing in Romania in 2023 was the result of Romanian consumers often cooking at home, as high inflation and strong pressure on purchasing power discouraged visits to foodservice establishments. However, hand…

Following the hike in demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when consumers embraced bleach as an effective tool against germs and the virus, there has been a readjustment in demand in the category. Thus, bleach resumed its pre-pandemic…

Romanian consumers remained very attached to their homes, and there was still a large part of the population that worked from home (or in a hybrid work system). In general, consumers are placing a higher importance on having a pleasant environment at…