The growth in Romania was mainly driven by the entry of new players and the expansion of the already existing ones, on the one hand, and by the low starting base, on the other.
Market research company IGD data show discount retailers have grown to 31.5% of the market in Germany, from 29.5%, for instance. Poland is where such retailers have the second highest market share, 26.8%. What is different about Poland compared with all the other markets is that the undisputed leader is local retailer Biedronka (Portuguese-owned for a number of years now), which has about 3,000 stores and more than EUR11 billion sales or as much as the entire Romanian modern retail sector.
The market shares are valid for the entire market, that is both modern (hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount stores ) and traditional retail, IGD says.
The three actors battling on the discount retail segment are three foreign giants – Lidl (arrived in 2011 when it bought Plus Discount), Penny Market (the oldest on the segment, held by Germany’s Rewe) and Supeco (the latest arrival, a discount and cash & carry mix held by Carrefour).
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)