Last year, 21.6 million condoms were sold in Romania, down 10% on the year, bringing the annual consumption to one condom per inhabitant, compared with 2.45 in Poland, two in Hungary and seven in the UK.
Durex, a brand with a market share of over 60%, estimates a growth of nearly 9% in condom sales this year, to 23.5 million condoms.
“This year, we expect the market to bounce back to the level of 2009, after last year’s decline. There are slight increases in July and August but we cannot speak about any significant changes throughout the year,” said Alina Lungulescu, Reckitt Benckiser’s marketing manager for the Balkan area.
The sex lubricants market is still weak in Romania, with 167,000 units sold last year, for 2.3 million lei (EUR540,000).
“This segment has potential and we estimate a growth of nearly 30% for 2011,” said Lungulescu.
Durex’ main competition is Love Plus, a brand represented in Romania by PSI Romania, which declined to provide market details.