The two markets performed differently last year, as the Czech Republic’s lost one fifth of the value while Romania’s increased. Sales of refrigerators, phones and washing machines went up 14% in Romania, continuing the upward trend of the last few years.
This was one of the highest growths in Europe, driven by consumer spending, which in turn increased at a double-digit rate in 2017.
The only market segment to have seen decline is the office equipment (12.5%). On the other hand, the telecom segment was the growth leader, having seen sales up almost 30% as a result of the greater appetite for better smartphones.
The local market is still lagging behind in terms of annual spending per capita, as a Romanian only spends EUR150 on computer and electronics a year, almost five times less than a German and 65% less than a Czech. This is indicative for the computer and electronics market because it shows how developed a market is. Development also has to do with the purchasing power and the wage, because the average wage of a German is five or six times higher than a Romanian’s, about EUR550 in net amount per month.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)