What are Nestlé Romania’s results for the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023?
Silvia Sticlea: After the first nine months of the year, Nestlé Romania recorded a solid organic growth of 5.7%. This result reflects the team’s commitment to delivering high-quality products and meeting the evolving needs of our consumers. I would like to thank the entire team for their hard work during this period, their tireless commitment and the positive impact they have made on society. We also thank all our partners for their contribution to these results and, of course, all the consumers who trust in our products. Our overall objective is to achieve the eleventh consecutive year of growth for Nestlé Romania.
Which were the products or brands that contributed most to the results for the first nine months of 2024?
Silvia Sticlea: With such a diversified portfolio, it is difficult to single out a “star” product, as we address a wide range of needs, consumption moments and a very broad consumer audience. In the first nine months of the year, products that stood out with above-average performance were coffee (NESCAFÉ and Nespresso), culinary products (Maggi), pet products (Purina) and vitamin, mineral and supplement products (Solgar). All categories performed as forecast for the reference period, each contributing, of course to a different extent, to the consolidated result.
What is the star product/brand of the summer?
Silvia Sticlea: If we have to take into account the exposure this summer I would say KitKat, which was present at the Neversea and Untold festivals with activations that delighted the attendees, as well as the online communities of influencers who joined us in the campaign. Two other brands that were very much present among consumers were NESCAFÉ and Maggi, who started the fall with a bang, attending ComicCon and interacting directly with their consumers.
Have you noticed any changes of any kind in consumer habits during this period compared to the same baseline period in 2023? If so, what would they be?
Silvia Sticlea: One of the significant trends is the increased interest in cooking at home with the family, influenced by the flexible working hours of many companies, the growth of online retail, the concern for sustainable products and brands, and the growing interest in balanced nutrition. As a result, we offer our consumers a wide variety of choices, taking into account current criteria such as balanced nutrition, sustainability of products and producers, brand awareness and preference, product availability and affordability. Choices based on brand, value for money and affordability are still preferred.
What were the biggest challenges from a business perspective in 9M 2024?
Silvia Sticlea: The challenges in 2024 were largely the same as in previous years. The FMCG market depends on the general evolution of the economy and consumer purchasing power. There continue to be logistical and supply chain challenges and, not least, those generated by the manifestations of climate change that either bring droughts or floods, affecting agricultural land and the raw materials that underpin the realization of our products. All of this forces us to always be prepared with more scenarios to respond to new market trends and current buyer behavior, always with the good of our consumers and our employees in mind.