Romania

The pandemic led to changes in lifestyle and smoking patterns with increased interest in cigars, cigarillos, pipe tobacco and fine cut tobacco. These products were seen as exotic and tapped into the increasing search for new experiences. Although the…

Traditional toys and games in Romania maintained double-digit current value growth in 2023, with increases seen across all categories. Premiumisation remains a key trend in Romania, but traditional toys and games is a category which is still flooded…

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…

Rising inflation and the heightened cost of living in Romania in 2023, negatively impacted retail volume sales of basic food and drinks, including hot drinks. Coffee sales were particularly challenged, with negative retail volume sales, as the unit…

Coffee registered a retail volume decline in 2023, with retail value sales growth being the result of rising unit prices, high inflation and increasing costs for energy, transport and logistics. In addition, the price of the raw coffee bean grew,…

Coffee consumption has been soaring in Romania, with a strong performance both in the online and the offline. In the context of a growing coffee culture in the country, RTD coffee registered another year of strong volume growth. The performance is…

Online payments have seen a significant surge in popularity, continuing through 2023, with an increasing number of e-commerce transactions being finalised through online payment methods. Electronic direct transfers and ACH (Automated Clearing House)…

Charge cards experience sluggish growth due to rising inflation and a low economic performance, leading companies to optimise expenditures by reducing spending limits. However, charge cards lack digital options that are flourishing in other card…

Cheese is experiencing the cross-category trend of value being supported by high prices, whereas volume is being suppressed by low consumer spending power in the inflationary context. The overall volume declines in cheese are also the consequence of…

Despite general economic instability and a rise in prices, the analgesics category in 2023 looks set to achieve a positive performance. However, the current value growth rate is likely to be slower than in the previous year. This can be attributed to…

Alongside the rising preoccupation for health and wellness among the population, consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and want to track more of their health parameters (eg heart rate, oxygen blood level, burn calories, water intake,…

With the pandemic being declared over by the World Health Organisation in early 2023 most consumers have now returned to their old lifestyles and behaviour. The rising mobility of the population has helped to drive strong demand for wireless speakers…

Corruption continues to hamper economic freedom and fiscal health could be improved, but Romania has entered a period of political stability. Economic development is set to slow, as high inflation erodes purchasing power and has led to greater…

Continuing the trend from 2022, mass beauty and personal care saw dynamic current value growth in Romania in 2023. Mass brands remain the default choice for the vast majority of consumers across all beauty and personal care categories. Several…

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…

RTD tea registered another year of strong growth in 2023, benefitting from a positive perception during rising health trends. Compared to other soft drink areas, RTD tea remains a highly concentrated market, with a small number of brands and…

The projected drop in retail volume sales of edible oils over 2023 is due to price hikes. The prices of sunflower seeds hiked due to the war in Ukraine and a prolonged dry season, alongside higher manufacturing and retailing costs driven by fuel and…

In 2023, jeans maintained a significant growth rate in both value and volume terms. With the COVID-19 restrictions left behind, Romanians are going out more than before and want to dress appropriately. Nevertheless, cocooning remains an important…

Apparel accessories registered another year of growth in 2023, as Romanians continued to go out more often than before and, therefore, showed a higher level of preoccupation with their personal image. The difficult economic context meant that apparel…

Value growth in baby food is being supported by inflation and, thus, high unit prices in 2023, whereas volume is flat. Unit prices have been pushed up by the rising costs for transport, storage, and distribution logistics, in particular for baby…