Shopping Behaviour – Retail Insights for June 2025

The heatmap  reveals clear shopping patterns across the week, highlighting how consumers time their purchases:

• Saturday emerges as the dominant shopping day, with the highest sales intensity across nearly all top categories — signaling a strong preference for weekend stock-ups, especially for social and leisure-driven missions.
• Friday also shows elevated activity, suggesting that many households anticipate weekend needs in advance, aligning with payday cycles or weekend planning habits.
• Sunday maintains moderate sales, likely reflecting top-up trips or last-minute purchases before the new week begins.
• Weekdays (Monday to Thursday) show significantly lighter sales volumes, indicating that during the workweek, shoppers are less likely to engage in full-basket or occasion-driven trips — instead focusing on routine essentials or postponing purchases altogether.
  

This distribution underscores the importance of weekend days in driving overall sales value, with Saturday being the anchor for both functional and indulgent shopping missions.

The hourly distribution of sales reveals concentrated shopping activity during specific windows of the day:

• Sales activity ramps up sharply after 7 AM, peaking between 10–11 AM, aligning with planned morning grocery trips.
• A secondary plateau occurs between 4–7 PM, capturing after-work visits and top-up missions.
• After 9 PM, sales drop off significantly, reflecting limited late-night shopping behavior and a strong daytime preference.
  

These hourly patterns highlight how shopper missions are shaped by daily routines, with most value generated during late mornings and early evenings, particularly on weekend days when both indulgent and functional needs converge.

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Key Insights:

• With temperatures rising, beverages captured a significant share of consumer spend — Beer alone led all categories, while carbonated drinks and water also ranked high. Altogether, hydration and refreshment-focused products accounted for a major portion of June’s sales, driven by at-home consumption, social occasions, and summer routines with children out of school.
• Despite softness in pantry staples, fresh meat categories like pork and sausages held strong, supported by seasonal grilling behaviors. These protein-rich items maintained their relevance for main meal preparation, especially on weekends.
• Bakery, sweet snacks, and ice cream collectively captured notable share, outperforming more utilitarian staples. This reflects a seasonal and emotional shift in value: with families spending more time at home, shoppers indulged in comfort and treat-based items, even if overall basket sizes slightly declined.
• Fruits and vegetables ranked among the top categories, led by convenient and refreshing options like watermelon, berries, and cucumbers. Rather than meal-base ingredients, shoppers gravitated toward items that supported easy, fresh snacking.
• Spending on base foods and long-shelf-life items lagged behind. Shoppers deprioritized cooking staples in favor of low-prep, high-gratification items, suggesting continued pantry fatigue and a preference for immediacy and ease.

Actionable Retail Media Insights for Brands:

If you’re a brand operating in Romania’s retail landscape, June didn’t reward those who waited passively on the shelf. It rewarded those who showed up in the right moment — with the right message.

Start with drinks. The biggest share of wallet went here, but it wasn’t just about price. It was about presence during heat. Brands that ran weather-triggered activations — from digital screens near cold shelves to push notifications in the app — were the ones that stayed cold when shoppers were hot. If your creative didn’t say refresh, you missed your shot. Rerun these campaigns Tuesday to Saturday, mid-day to late afternoon, when traffic spikes and thirst peaks.

Next, focus on the main meal occasion. Meat still matters. But the winner wasn't the everyday cut — it was the BBQ kit. Pork, sausages, and grilling accessories that were bundled, cross-promoted, and visible on Friday mornings won the weekend. This is where high-margin opportunity lives: through endcaps and DOOH activations that meet the mission head-on.

Now let’s talk about snacks and sweets. These categories didn’t rely on rational messaging — they thrived on emotional relevance. Brands that framed their messaging around home life with kids or guilt-free indulgence resonated. Run these campaigns during weekday afternoons, when parents are at their behavioral breaking point. Use short-form, snackable formats on in-store audio and on-site banners.

Fresh produce wasn’t just strong — it was strategic. People didn’t buy fruit for salads. They bought it to cool down. Think watermelon wedges, berries, and cucumbers. The brands and retailers that leaned into convenience-driven messaging like “Snack on Something Real” or “Hydrate Naturally” outperformed those that just listed benefits. Run these early in the day, when produce trips peak.

Finally, be honest about where to pull back. Pantry categories like oil, canned meals, and sauces are in hibernation. Shift your promotional budget away from these zones, at least until late August. Reinvest that budget where the behavior is now — not where it used to be.

The truth is simple: in June, shoppers didn’t buy more. They bought differently. Media that mirrors that behavior — by being light, fast, emotional, and relevant — wins.

Meat & Processed Meats

June was a steady month for meat, with small but consistent growth across all segments. Prepared meat, minced meat, and packed sausages led the way—showing clear alignment with convenient, grill-friendly formats.

This was not a pantry mission. It was a weekend mission: fast, familiar, and tied to at-home BBQs and family lunches. Growth was modest, but persistent-proof that meat remained a core part of the main meal, even as overall cooking volumes softened.

What to do next:
‍Double down on Friday and Saturday activations—highlight grilling kits, sausages, and marinades. Keep messaging focused on ease, family moments, and heat-friendly meals.

Dairy & Eggs

The dairy aisle held its ground—but not all segments moved equally. Dairy and bulk cheese showed solid growth, while yoghurts and kefir desserts gained on the back of light snacking and afternoon cravings. Meanwhile, eggs and milk cream slipped, confirming a drop in structured cooking habits.

Shoppers favored ready-to-consume, refreshing formats over core staples. This was dairy for comfort and convenience—not for recipes.

What to do next:
‍Push flavored yoghurts, soft cheeses, and chilled snacks during weekday afternoons. Tap into the small reward moment—especially for parents managing kids at home.

Bakery & Sweets

June was a month of emotional indulgence in the bakery aisle. Pastries saw strong growth, driven by snackable formats and breakfast substitutes. Supplied bakery and jams followed with modest gains—while heavier or prep-reliant items like dessert ingredients and sugar confectionery declined.

This was a shopper looking for ready-made treats, not baking projects.

What to do next:
Activate sweet, grab-and-go products near checkout and bakery counters. Use messaging that leans into comfort, ease, and small daily wins—especially during morning and mid-afternoon trips.

Base Foods & Cooking Ingredients

June showed polarization in base foods. Simple staples like oil, vinegar, and basic packaged goods grew moderately-likely from habitual top-ups. But rice, beans, pasta, and salt-based ingredients declined, pointing to a continued slowdown in structured, home-cooked meals.

Cooking didn't disappear-it just simplified. Shoppers traded down from full-meal preparation to light, low-effort kitchen work.

What to do next:
Scale back heavy meal-prep messaging. Instead, promote fast-meal helpers like oils and condiments through in-app recipes and endcap pairings. Keep it simple, seasonal, and low-prep.

Drinks

Drinks dominated June. Beer, water, and carbonated drinks posted explosive MoM growth, with ice tea and flavored beverages close behind. This was a direct response to heat: refreshment, hydration, and light indulgence became the default shopper mission.

Even alcoholic subcategories like beer and wine rose — driven by weekend relaxation and social moments at home.

What to do next:
Run weather-reactive campaigns. Prioritize visibility during hot-day afternoons (11AM–6PM). Use creative that sells cool, fun, and immediate satisfaction, not product specs. Visibility near fridges and cold displays is non-negotiable.

Fruits & Vegetables

This was a fruit-first month. Fresh fruits surged (+25.7% MoM), especially snackable and hydrating varieties like watermelon and berries. Salads saw a small lift too, but vegetables, canned goods, and pickled items declined — shoppers weren’t cooking, they were cooling off.

This category wasn’t about meal prep. It was about refreshment, simplicity, and immediacy.

What to do next:
‍Promote fruit as a daily snack, not just a side. Use messaging like “Snack on Real” or “Hydrate Naturally”. Push offers before noon and position near grab-and-go zones.

Home Care & Cleaning

Cleaning products held their ground in June — though not without effort. Home care items saw a solid increase of +21%, likely driven by routine replenishment.But household products overall were flat, showing that deep cleaning took a seasonal backseat.

In short: maintenance, not motivation. Shoppers bought only what they ran out of — not what they were inspired to use.

What to do next:
Pause deep-clean messaging. Instead, lean into auto-replenishment, compact formats, and bundle pricing. Campaigns should focus on efficiency and convenience, not spring-clean inspiration.
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Who Is Buying – Life Stage & Demographics
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Footprints AI analyzed 98 million transactions from over 6.5 million households in June 2025, revealing that summer disrupted shopping routines, but not the demographic foundations of retail behavior. The difference this month wasn’t who showed up—but why they came and what they came for.

1. Gender

While June didn’t bring a dramatic shift in gender share of transactions, behavioral patterns by gender became more pronounced — especially when viewed through the lens of category focus and mission type.

• Women continued to dominate high-frequency missions, particularly in fresh produce, dairy, bakery, and home care. These baskets were short, fast, and focused on keeping the household running smoothly—designed around care, routine, and low-prep choices.
• Men’s participation remained lower in volume, but they showed up more visibly in weekend shopping and grilling missions. Categories like meat, beer, and carbonated drinks saw stronger male engagement, with purchases often concentrated on Friday and Saturday mornings.

What this reveals is not just who shops more, but who shops for what, when, and why. Gender is no longer about volume—it’s about mission alignment. Women owned the weekday flow; men contributed more on high-stakes, occasion-driven trips.
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2. Age Segments

This month’s shopping behavior was concentrated in millennial-led households, particularly those with school-age children. These consumers prioritized flexibility and bought what solved today’s problem, not what stocked the pantry.

Implication: Most of June’s retail volume came from adaptive routines—not static patterns. Brands should avoid rigid audience segmentation and instead activate against fluid life stage behaviors that shift by week and mission.
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3. Life Stage Segments

This section analyzes customer contribution to total sales value by life stage group. The chart below shows how different household types shaped shopping behavior in June.

Families with kids accounted for the largest share of customers at 23.55%, followed closely by Dual Income, No Kids at 22.10%. Together, these two segments drove nearly half of all retail activity, highlighting the role of time-sensitive, emotionally motivated missions in the month’s performance.

• Families with kids focused on function + indulgence: affordable snacks, hydration, ready meals, and fresh fruits. Their baskets reflected short, reactive trips aimed at keeping the household running under heat and pressure.
• Dual Income, No Kids leaned into refreshment and light indulgence—cold drinks, ready-to-eat items, and quick post-work top-ups. This group continues to serve as an early signal of lifestyle shifts, prioritizing quality over quantity.
  

Other notable groups:

• Empty Nesters (11.94%) contributed steady value in staples, though their share declined versus May.
• Young Professionals (10.87%) remained stable, particularly in meat and dairy, with broad category participation.
  

Takeaway: In June, the most responsive and valuable audiences were time-poor but emotionally driven. They weren’t planning ahead — they were adapting to the moment.

Actionable Retail Media Insights for Brands
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High-Frequency and High-Volume Shopping Occasions to Activate Immediately

In June, Romanian shoppers didn’t follow a plan — they followed the moment. These weren’t campaigns; they were recurring, mission-based behaviors, repeated by millions. Brands that win in this environment don’t just advertise; they show up in the occasion itself.

Here are the top shopping occasions you need to build into your retail media playbook now:
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1. “Cool Down Cravings” – Midday Heatwave Missions

Timing: 11:00–16:00, Tue–Sat
Behavior: Shoppers rushed in for cold drinks, ice cream, fresh fruit.
Who: Predominantly women 25–44, with kids at home.
Categories: Flavored water, soda, yoghurt desserts, watermelon, popsicles.
Media Activation:

• Weather-triggered creatives in in-store screens
• App push: “Too hot to cook? Grab a chill.”
• Near-chiller placement and cold aisle DOOH
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2. “Weekday Survival Basket” – Light Lunch & Snack Missions

Timing: Mon–Fri, 10:00–14:00
Behavior: Quick top-up trips for ready-to-eat or no-prep items.
Who: Working parents and young professionals.
Categories: Bakery, snackable cheese, patiserie, fruit packs, yoghurt, bottled drinks.
Media Activation:

• Shelf-edge screens and audio cues near bakery/dairy
• On-site “Quick Bites” campaign bundle
• Trigger basket recommendation flow via app
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3. “Friday Grill Prep” – The Meat + Drinks Combo Mission

Timing: Friday 08:00–12:00
Behavior: Big-value trip for weekend BBQs or casual meals
Who: Men 30–55 and dual-income couples
Categories: Pork cuts, sausages, marinades, beer, ice tea, grill-ready vegetables
Media Activation:

• DOOH + audio: “Grill Friday starts now.”
• Bundle pricing for meat + drinks
• App recipe pairing + endcap cross-promo (e.g. Pork + Ice Tea)
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4. “After-School Replacement” – Summer Home Snacking

Timing: Mon–Fri, 14:00–17:00
Behavior: Post-lunch boredom snacks for kids at home
Who: Women 25–44, single parents
Categories: Muffins, yoghurts, milk-based drinks, sweet snacks, fruit
Media Activation:

• CTA: “Because they’re still home…”
• App push + social retargeting
• In-store screens near snack aisle
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5. “Hydrate & Go” – Fast Grab on the Move

Timing: Daily, especially hot days, 09:00–11:00 and 16:00–18:00
Behavior: One-item, high-frequency cold drink purchases
Who: Young professionals, commuters, students
Categories: Water, soda, cold coffee, juice
Media Activation:

• 6-second high-impact mobile banners
• “Stop. Drink. Go.” creative on cold aisles
• Real-time app trigger based on outside temperature

These aren't theoretical moments — they're repeatable, high-volume, retail realities. Brands who structure their media, creative, and product placement around these missions won’t just get reach — they’ll get relevance, ROI, and repeat business.

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