Discounters registered a positive performance in 2021 and this can be seen as the result of greater demand for proximity retailing formats due to the perceived risk of coming into contact with the COVID-19 virus whilst shopping in larger-stores, while the adverse and uncertain economic environment that has unfolded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has motivated many consumers to search for the lowest prices possible on a wide variety of grocery products. The prominence of private label in the product ranges of Romania’s leading discounters has proven a particularly valuable asset within this context.
Only three chains of discounters were active in Romania during 2021: Lidl (owned by Schwarz Beteiligungs GmbH), Penny (owned by Rewe Group) and Supeco (owned by Carrefour SA). Lidl remains dominant in the category and it is fair to say that is a reflection of the prominent role that Lidl has taken in the development of discounters generally in Romania.
While category leader Lidl remained focused on developing its physical retailing network towards the end of the review period, its major rival, the Rewe Group-owned international discounters chain Penny was focusing much of its attention on the development of e-commerce via the Lyvra platform. Lyvra was developed in partnership with Auto Total, the national leader in the distribution of auto parts and the operator of a huge fleet of vehicles.
Discounters is expected to continue registering strong positive growth over the forecast period, with this favourable performance expected to be underpinned by rising consumer demand for high-quality products at low prices in close proximity to their homes and workplaces. The economic situation in Romania has been improving for some years, although many low-income consumers have struggled to manage rising living costs as a result of spreading affluence and this situation has been exacerbated by the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lidl is expected to remain the dominant player in discounters throughout the forecast period, with the retailer’s parent company Schwarz Beteiligungs GmbH vying for first position in grocery retailing overall via Lidl and the Kaufland chain of hypermarkets. Lidl’s increasing interest in selling local products can be seen in the recently launched private label Camara Noastra (Our Pantry), which currently offers around 200 product lines, all made exclusively in Romania.
The second leading discounters chain in Romania, the Rewe-Group owned Penny, is also expected to continue developing its operations in the country during the forecast period. Rewe Group has committed to an investment plan involving over EUR1 billion for the period 2021-2029 and the Germany-based international retailer is currently heavily focused on the modernisation of its network of stores, with this expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
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Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Discounters industry in Romania with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
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Discounters are chained retail outlets typically with a selling space of between 400 and 2,500 square metres. Stores have a primary focus on selling a limited range of foods, beverages, tobacco and non-groceries at budget prices, regularly via private label. Discounters can be classified as hard discounters and soft discounters. Hard discounters, first introduced by Aldi in Germany, are also known as limited-line discounters. Stores are typically 400-900 square metres and stock fewer than 1,000 product lines, largely in packaged groceries. Product range available is predominantly made up of private-label brands. Soft discounters are usually slightly larger than hard discounters, and are also known as extended-range discounters. Stores typically stock 1,000-4,000 product lines. As well as private-label and budget brands, stores commonly carry leading brands at discounted prices. Example brands include Aldi, Lidl, and Dia.
See All of Our DefinitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Discounters research and analysis database.
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