Variety stores is an underdeveloped retail category in Romania and one which remains unfamiliar to the majority of consumers. Variety stores has never really developed as a retailing concept in a country with a strong tradition of highly specialised non-grocery retailers that often sell only one type of product, but which usually offer every possible variation of this product in their stores.
The positive sales growth registered in variety stores in 2021 can be largely attributed to the efforts and activities of category leader Studio Moderna SRL, the company behind the Top Shop chain of homeshopping showrooms. There are significant numbers of Top Shop stores operating in Romania and many people in the country automatically make an association between Top Shop and variety stores generally, with many considering the variety stores concept to be interchangeable with the Top Shop brand.
The 2018 entry of the Japanese-inspired, Chinese-origin global retailing brand Miniso into variety stores in Romania represented a huge step forward for the category as Miniso is the first international chain of out-and-out variety stores to attempt to gain a foothold in the country. Miniso debuted with the opening of four stores in Bucharest and this was followed by the opening of three more stores under the brand in 2019.
Over the forecast period, the performance of variety stores in Romania is expected to be determined largely by the performance of the category’s dominant player Studio Moderna and its Top Shop chain of homeshopping showrooms. In addition to the popularity of the products that the retailer sells, many of which are available in Romania exclusively via its stores, website and TV homeshopping channel, the retailer is set to continue benefiting from its very strong position in TV homeshopping and its presence in e-commerce, which has given the retailer a very high profile among the Romanian population.
Top Shop has registered as dramatic increase in traffic towards its e-commerce website as well as its online sales since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and this is likely to motivate the brand’s parent company Studio Moderna to focus increasingly on drawing links between the retailer’s online and offline operations during the forecast period. While this has the potential to cannibalise in-store sales, putting pressure on sales growth across variety stores in the process, it is more likely that the increased exposure that consumers will have to the Top Shop brand via online channels will benefit variety stores overall by increasing consumer awareness and recognition of Top Shop’s store-based operations as well as its distant selling activities.
Top Shop’s long-term focus on homewares, small appliances and personal accessories is expected to stand the retailer in good stead during the forecast period as demand for all these types of products has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Romanians have become interested in furnishing and equipping their homes to make them better places to spend time after being forced to avoid working, studying and socialising outside of the home at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Variety Stores industry in Romania with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
If you're in the Variety Stores industry in Romania, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
Variety stores are chained or independent retail outlets with a primary focus on selling a range of merchandise across several categories. Variety stores are chained or independent retail outlets with a primary focus on selling a range of merchandise across several categories, although they may also sell grocery items. Includes fixed-price stores (e.g. dollar stores) and catalogue showrooms. Example brands include Dollar General, Woolworth (Germany), and Miniso.
See All of Our DefinitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Variety Stores research and analysis database.
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