Romania: great increase in consumer confidence

In Q1 2014 Romania was our neighbouring country where Nielsen’ consumer confidence index grew the most: at 67 points it was 5 points higher than in Q4 2013.

As regards their personal finances, 40 percent of the survey’s participants expect it to be more or less good in the next 12 months. 17 percent are to some extent or another optimistic about their job prospects. 22 percent of Romanians reckon now is a good time buy what they need. Nominal FMCG value sales rose 11 percent in 2012 and volume sales were up 11 percent – average prices increased by 1 percent. In 2013 FMCG sales only expanded by 2 percent – in a period when average prices augmented by 2 percent. Ten international retail chains are present with modern store types in Romania (e.g. CBA, Aldi, Auchan, Carrefour, Cora, Intermarché, Kaufland, Metro and Rewe) but small shops are still much more important than in Hungary. According to Nielsen, 56 percent of Romanian consumers only buy the most important products when prices go up and cut down spending on what they deem to buy a luxury. 62 percent of Romanians changed their spending habits from the previous year to save money, but groceries were only the fifth most important category in trying to economise.