Romania

The prevailing economic landscape in Romania in 2023 was characterised by persistent inflationary pressures, exerting upward pressure on unit prices across various product categories, including wipes. Rising costs associated with raw materials and…

Grocery retailers dominate sales in 2023

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…

In 2023, vending in Romania showcased positive retail value growth, benefiting from the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022. This led consumers to return to office work, with free movement outside of the home, enabling the recovery of…

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…

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…

Vacuum cleaners continue to benefit from consumers’ higher standards of health and hygiene, as enhanced by the era of the pandemic. As such, keeping a clean home has become a high priority, supporting both volume and value sales of vacuum cleaners.…

In 2023, supermarkets in Romania recorded double-digit retail value growth; the result of having excellent locations in crowded neighbourhoods. As such, these stores increasingly benefit from proximity while offering a broader range of products…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Sales in microwaves remain in a slump which is expected to deepen further over the coming years. This is largely due to a widely held perception that food prepared in a microwave is unhealthy due to the loss of nutrients. On the other hand, the more…

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…

Despite the challenging economic climate, the demand for menstrual care products in Romania saw a steady increase in both value and volume sales throughout 2023. This growth can be attributed to a more educated and informed consumer base, which is…

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…

In 2022, Romania’s packaging industry witnessed dynamic shifts influenced by economic challenges and consumer preferences. Larger pack sizes became the preferred choice across a variety of categories, offering consumers economic advantages amid…

Inflation in 2023 influenced Romanians' shopping behaviour for retail tissue. Unit prices continued to rise due to increased costs associated with raw materials and energy, as well as the trend towards premiumisation. This led to further polarisation…

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,…