Thus, in line with data provided by market research company Market Vector, in the first half of 2022 against the same period of 2022 the market share of hypermarkets, supermarkets, proximity stores and traditional retail has dwindled. At the other end, discounters and cash & carry units grabbed more of sales. In reality, discounters are the winners of this period when inflation has weakened, but it still holds above 10%.
Thus, in mid-2023, discount and cash & carry stores held together 27.1% of food retail sales, with their market share expanding by 1.4% in just 12 months. Hypermarkets on the other hand came to eat 26.1% of food retail sales, compared with 26.4% in mid-2022.
“Consumers are not only more careful in how they spend their money, but they are also shopping differently. The cost of living has soared, so that people buy less to save and to reduce food waste. They also shop more frequently at discounters. Moreover, they are switching to private labels and lower price items,” conclude Market Vector analysts.
Thus, Romania’s food retailer is undergoing a new “revolution”. How much this will last and how will the landscape look afterwards remains to be seen.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)