No surveys. No biases. Only truth from billions of transactions. Actionable Insights with Retail Media.
The shopping pattern in January 2026 is clear: the holiday rush ended, and people went back to everyday shopping. More people bought things they use to cook at home (+3.40%) and fresh fruits and vegetables (+1.67%). At the same time, the “treat and party” items dropped: snacks (-20.39%), bakery (-17.06%), and drinks (-17.05%). Meat dropped a lot too (-30.70%), and personal care dropped even more (-32.59%). In value share, the month is led by everyday favourites: sweet snacks (6.77%) and fruits (5.98%), followed by fizzy drinks (4.57%), beer (4.38%), and vegetables (4.32%).
Shoppers don’t browse in January. They execute. Most shopping trips are quick and practical: small top-up trips and normal weekly shopping make up 55.12% of the month. Big “fill the house for a long time” trips are rare (6.70%). And shopping happens in a tight time window: 66.01% of spending is between 12:00–20:00, with 16:00–20:00 alone making up 32.69%. Almost 4 out of 5 purchases happen after 13:00 (79.73%).
Category choice follows the moment: people cook more at home and try to make food last longer. You can see it in the type of meat too: chicken and turkey go up (+4.05%), while fish (-54.10%) and seafood (-55.29%) fall sharply. That’s a clear switch to cheaper options.
Based on 100% real transactions, in-store and online. No panels. No projections. Just reality.
* Over 120 million anonymised retail transactions analysed. Based on actual behavioural and sales data, both in-store and online.
What Shaped January
- Working people ran the month
January shopping was driven by adults under 45 (about 8 in 10 shoppers). And it was mostly women (about 3 in 4). This matters because the “default shopper” in January is a busy person solving daily needs, not browsing for fun. - January was “small trips”, not “big trips”
More than half of shopping was just two things: topping up the fridge and normal weekly buying (55%). Big “fill the pantry” trips were rare (7%). Translation: people bought what they needed now, not what they might need later. - Shopping happened in a narrow daily window
Most spending happened after lunch and before dinner. About two thirds of value sat between 12:00–20:00, and the single busiest hour was 14:00. In plain terms: if you miss the afternoon, you miss most of the month. - The market is basically a few cities
Bucharest and Timisoara alone are almost 3 in 10 shoppers. The top 5 cities are almost half the market. Translation: national results are heavily shaped by a handful of urban centers. - The basket “snapped back” after December
January wasn’t about celebrations. It was about everyday food. Cooking-at-home categories went up: cooking ingredients (+3.4%) and fruits & vegetables (+1.7%). Meanwhile the “holiday basket” cooled fast: snacks (-20%), bakery (-17%), drinks (-17%). - People didn’t just buy less meat, they changed what meat they buy
This is the cleanest “budget signal” in the whole set. Chicken and turkey went up (+4%), while fish (-54%) and seafood (-55%) collapsed. That’s not taste. That’s price pressure.
What Just Changed. And Why It Matters.
- From holiday missions to routine
January is a “normal shopping” month again. Fill-in (28.9%) + Routine / Replenishment (26.3%) climbed to 55.1% of shoppers, while Stock-up dropped to just 6.7%. Special Occasion is still big (24.4%), but it no longer defines the market. - The basket snapped back to cooking at home
Growth moved to what people use in the kitchen: Cooking Ingredients & Base Food (+3.4%) and Fruits & Vegetables (+1.7%). Inside that, Preserves & Pickles (+17.3%) and Dessert Ingredients (+10.2%) rose, clear “cook and make it last” behavior. - Treat categories cooled off fast
The post-holiday drop is visible everywhere: Snacks (-20.4%), Bakery (-17.1%), and Beverages (-17.1%) all fell sharply. Personal Care also dropped hard (-32.6%), showing spending pressure beyond food. - Protein priorities reshuffled
Shoppers didn’t just buy less meat. They switched what they buy. Chicken & Turkey grew (+4.0%), while Fish (-54.1%) and Seafood (-55.3%) collapsed. Meat overall declined (-30.7%). This is budget pressure in plain sight. - The prime time stayed in tight hours
Time concentration stayed brutal: 12:00–20:00 delivered 73.3% of monthly value, with 16:00–20:00 alone at 40.0%. The peak hour is 14:00 (9.0%). If you want impact, these are the hours that matter.
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Dan Marc
Brands That Moved the Market
How Shoppers Chose: Category Dynamics
Top 10 Growth Categories (YoY):
Top 10 Declining Categories (YoY):
How Shoppers Chose:
Category Sales Highlights
This section highlights the sales evolution across major product categories. It shows how consumer demand shifted.
Where the Money Went: Category by Category
These charts show when shoppers spent the most, sales value by hour of day and by day of the month, highlighting peak spending windows and recurring calendar patterns.
Meat & Processed Meats
Dairy & Eggs
Bakery
Snacks
Base Foods & Cooking Ingredients
Beverages
Fruits & Vegetables
Personal Care
Home Care & Cleaning
Who Is Buying – Life Stage & Demographics
Below is who drove sales: by life stage, age, gender, shopping mission and county.
By Life Stage
By Age
By Gender
By Shopping Mission
By County
ACTIONABLE RETAIL MEDIA INSIGHTS FOR BRANDS
- Own the real buying hours.
January is not “all day.” It’s concentrated. Show up after lunch and before dinner. 12:00–20:00 carries about two thirds of the month (66.0%). The busiest hour is 14:00 (9.1%). If your plan is weak in the afternoon, you miss January. - Target the missions that actually drive January.
Build one simple plan around everyday needs. Fill-in + Routine shopping is the majority (55.1%). That means fast, useful messages win: “for tonight,” “for tomorrow,” “for the week.” Stock-up is small (6.7%), so don’t overbuild for rare big trips. - Use “helpful” creative, not “celebration” creative.
January shoppers are strict. Snacks (-20.4%), bakery (-17.1%), and drinks (-17.1%) all dropped. Personal care fell even harder (-32.6%). People are cutting extras. Creative should feel like a smart choice: value, practicality, and less waste. - Follow the “cook at home” signals.
Cooking ingredients grew (+3.4%) and fruits and vegetables grew (+1.7%). People are back to meals at home. Position your brand as the thing that makes dinner easier, faster, or cheaper—not as an impulse buy. - Treat protein as a budget story.
The clearest January shift is inside meat. Chicken and turkey grew (+4.0%), while fish (-54.1%) and seafood (-55.3%) collapsed. That’s a switch to cheaper options. If you sell protein or sides, align your offer and message to the “affordable dinner” moment.
