The COVID-19 pandemic caused change in the local grocery retail, as well, bringing entrepreneurial businesses to the forefront, either specialist or convenience stores operating in traditional retail.
This change is even more surprising considering it comes after 15 years of decline for the segment, which used to lose thousands of actors in the battle with modern international giant-operated stores every year.
“We grew a lot in 2020. We clearly knew that would happen because we stayed open at all times and knew how much money was in the market. People had nowhere to spend their money other than groceries last year, since they didn’t go on vacation or did much of anything else. We did very well,” says Ovidiu Simos Demostenis, owner of the Simos business in Suceava County along with his mother, Aurica Simos. Simos has 11 stores in Suceava.
Is this change in consumer spending pattern lasting or just a momentary trend?
“We must ask ourselves whether this trend was because of the circumstances or not. We need to see how 2021 goes. Last year we couldn’t restock as fast as we would sell, but I think things are settling to where they were before the pandemic this year,” says Ion Soloman, the entrepreneur who owns retailer Best Market together with his family. Best Market has 15 stores in Bucharest and Dambovita County.
Ionel Popa, owner of Dinatos Galati, which operates a LaDoiPasi store in the rural town of Baleni, feels the same.
“If we’re talking about last year, the pandemic had a positive influence on our sales. In 2021, however, after the growth trend continued in January, with a 24% increase, February saw 5% increase and then March came with a 5% decline. We posted the exact same figures in May as in the year-ago month.”
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)