Romania

Amid challenging economic conditions, local consumers have shown a rising interest in investing in fine jewellery, particularly gold. Fine jewellery has also gained popularity as a high-value gift item. In addition, the lifting of pandemic…

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…

In 2023, Romania's government increased the minimum wage in response to persistent inflationary pressures. Over 2022-2027, disposable income growth is expected to surpass Eastern European and EU averages, driven by sustained economic development.…

In 2022, the Romanian car market increased by 7% in volume terms, but this was mostly due to purchases of new vehicles, with sales of second-hand cars falling by 20%. This had a negative effect on the performance of in-car entertainment, which…

Imaging devices has continued to record a steep decline in retail volume terms in 2023. Romanians increasingly regard these products as redundant in the era of high-performance smartphones. Furthermore, high inflation and economic pressures have led…

Ice cream is in a negative-digit volume slump in Romania in 2024, while value sales are better supported by price hikes. As in past years, ice cream continues to be strongly affected by the seasonal weather, with the warm season which starts in…

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…

The number of households in Romania is predicted to decline slightly between 2022 and 2027, due primarily to a decrease in the overall population. However, the number of single person households is projected to increase over this period, driven by…

Coffee is the most popular hot drink in Romania, with coffee packaging thus dominating overall sales in the hot drinks industry. This results in the dominance of flexible aluminium/plastic, due to the popularity of vacuum-packed coffee bricks. Most…

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…

With consumers going out more than before, 2023 brought another year of growth for hosiery. In addition, given that the category is comprised of relatively inexpensive products, inflation was not a big factor for hosiery during the year. The category…

Dinnerware and beverageware experienced growth in 2023 in current value terms which was attributed in part to a notable shift among Romanians towards premium products. The shift towards premium products, particularly in categories such as food…

Sales of home video declined in 2022 in retail volume terms with this trend continuing into 2023. This is mostly due to increasing pressure on consumers’ disposable income with Romania experiencing elevated rates of inflation which has led to a sharp…

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…

Sales in home laundry appliances are facing similar challenges to those seen in other major consumer appliances, as such products are regarded as big investments during a time of economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and high energy prices.…

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…

Despite high inflation and rising production costs, the prices of power tools and hand tools were seen to have stabilised and in some cases even declined in 2023. This was due to popular chained retailers such as Leroy Merlin optimising their supply…

Against a backdrop of soaring inflation and a sharp rise in the cost of living, disposable income continued to decline in 2023 forcing some Romanians to buy cheaper second-hand home furnishings or to postpone their purchases altogether. To attract…

Liquid and tablet detergents were products within laundry care seeing a strong development in volume sales terms in Romania in 2022. In keeping with the growing complexity of consumers and their need for increasingly innovative products, several…

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,…

Sales of home audio and cinema continue to decline in 2023, continuing the pattern seen over the review period. This decline has accelerated in 2022/2023 in part due to the rising mobility of Romanians. During the pandemic some products such as home…

Home and garden in Romania experienced steady growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than in 2022. Growth was largely driven by several macroeconomic factors such as elevated inflation, fluctuating GDP growth, and rising…

Herbal/traditional products is benefiting from the broad trend towards products containing natural ingredients that is influencing demand across a wide range of consumer goods categories, including packaged food and soft drinks, as well as consumer…

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…

Consumers are increasingly consuming entertainment through their mobile devices in Romania, including when outside home and on the move with this making a positive contribution to the growth and development of headphones. Furthermore, rising mobility…

In 2023, hair care in Romania demonstrated robust growth, with a low increase in retail volume terms, and a strong-single digit increase in current value terms. Current value growth was recorded across all categories, whilst a more mixed performance…

Gum is achieving positive volume and robust value sales in Romania in 2024. This is primarily attributed to consumers’ post-pandemic return to busy, out-of-home lifestyles, therefore reviving the role of gum as a breath freshener. Added to which, the…

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…

Gardening registered double-digit growth in current value terms across all categories in 2023, with more consumers becoming aware of the available products on the market. Retailers have been offering an increasingly diverse array of products, both in…

The results of full-service restaurants in 2023 were impacted by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, leading to a rise in eating out and consumers returning to the foodservice experience. However, high inflation continued to impact results,…

In 2023, fragrances in Romania continued to experience current value growth, although volume sales maintained their declining trend. This phenomenon was attributed to consumers’ willingness to pay higher prices for fragrances, resulting in fewer…

After the 2021 rebound, volume sales of footwear continued to increase in both 2022 and 2023. As Romanians are going out more often than before for work, leisure or travelling, their demand for footwear is also on the rise. This rise in demand is…

Food preparation appliances are maintaining positive volume sales in 2023, supported by consumers’ focus on healthy diets and lifestyles. Many households remain interested in upgrading their food preparation appliances due to the focus on preparing…

Retail current value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 15% in 2023 to total RON505 million. This was the result of the consumer desire to indulge themselves after the pandemic. Socialising over a drink with friends remains a priority…

Romania lags behind in financial inclusion compared to other nations, showcasing a lower uptake of basic financial services, primarily due to a trifecta of factors: low financial literacy levels, a significant grey economy, and a widespread…

Although eyewear in Romania is set to expand in total volume and current value sales terms in 2024, growth rates are expected to be weaker than those recorded in 2023. The downturn is mainly explained by stubbornly high inflation, which continues to…

In Romania, the eye care industry has not seen much change and is mostly controlled by a few big companies. These top brands are well-known and trusted by consumers, thanks to their strong distribution and advertising efforts. There is, therefore, an…

Tourist visitor levels in Romania recovered in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures like high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. International tourism increased by 40% January-July compared with the corresponding period in…

The briefing introduces the 2022 Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Index which has been produced for 37 countries globally. The index seeks to assess the readiness of each country across four key pillars: Market Maturity, Income and Spending,…

As interest in more active lifestyle grows, and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions has increased movement, energy drinks has seen a positive performance in 2023. Aggressive promotion, both offline and online, is also contributing positively to the…

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, Romania’s GDP growth slowed to 2.0%, slightly below the Eastern European average, weighed down by elevated inflation and slowing private spending growth. However, economic growth is projected to accelerate in 2024, supported by the European…

In an overarching cross-category trend, drinking milk products is seeing value growth supported by high unit prices driven by costs, alongside volume slumping in a price-sensitive environment. Indeed, unit prices at shelf level have been driven up by…

Dog food in Romania is expected to see a return to positive volume growth in 2024, following the decline of the previous year. This will be due in a large part to waning inflationary pressures, which will make commercially-prepared products more…

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…

Dishwashers buck the general category trend of major appliances by achieving decent volume sales in 2023. This is attributed to the category being quite new in Romania, with low penetration. Beko (SC Arctic SA) is the most prominent brand, with…

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…

Eastern Europe’s digital development continues as consumers increasingly embrace digital services. Consumers previously suspicious of the safety of online payments began to trust and value the convenience of fast and secure online payment methods as…

An increasing number of Romanian consumers are suffering from digestive issues due to eating unhealthy food, certain foods such as saturated fats, or larger amounts than usual servings. The return to hectic lifestyles has also involved an increase in…