In March 2025, Romanian shoppers rewrote the grocery playbook. From immunity-boosting staples like energy drinks and cherry tomatoes to a household pivot toward surface cleaners and eco-friendly sprays, fresh health and home refresh trends are reshaping baskets nationwide. While families continue to lead with robust spending, young singles and active seniors are rapidly growing segments, driving urban and regional markets alike. Join us as we unpack the key categories, demographic shifts, and shopping rhythms that defined Romanian retail in March 2025.

* Over 100 million anonymized grocery transactions analyzed. Based on actual behavioral and sales data, both in-store and online.

Top Growing Categories (MoM vs February 2025)

  • 🥤 Energy Drinks → +22.3%
  • 🍅 Cherry Tomatoes → +18.1%
  • 🧼 Surface Cleaners → +15.3%
  • 🧃 Cold Fruit Juices → +14.2%
  • 🥓 Pork Sausages (Cris-Tim) → +13.6%
  • 🥗 Pre-packed Salads → +10.8%
  • 🧽 General-Purpose Sprays → +9.9%

💡 Spring health reset: immunity boosters, fresh veg, and household refreshers surged.

Declining Categories (MoM)

  • 🍫 Sweet Snacks (Choco-based) → -12.2%
  • 🍊 Citrus Fruits → -9.1%
  • 🥛 Long Shelf-Life Milk → -6.7%
  • 🥩 Fresh Chicken Breast → -5.9%
  • 🍞 Frozen Pastries → -5.2%

🧠 Transitioning out of winter habits—comfort snacks and flu season staples dropped.

‍

‍

Price & Basket Trends

  • General Price Index: +2.3% MoM
  • Category-Specific Price Changes:
    • Meat: +3.5%
    • Fresh Vegetables: +2.9%
    • Beverages: +1.8%
  • Basket Value MoM:
    • Families: +5.1%
    • Young Singles: +2.8%
    • Seniors: +0.3%
    • Rural areas saw a +3.7% increase due to rising essential purchases.

Who Is Buying – Life Stage & Demographics

  • Share of Transactions by Life Stage:
    • Families w/ Children (Nest 1 & 2) – 38.4%
    • Young Professionals – 20.7%
    • Empty Nest – 17.2%
  • Notable MoM Growth:
    • Young Singles: +6.3%
    • Active Seniors: +4.1%
  • Gender Split: 60.1% Female | 39.9% Male
  • Age Brackets: 25-34 & 35-44 age segments remained dominant in high-value transactions

‍

‍

When Romanians Are Shopping

  • Peak Shopping Windows:
    • Thursday & Friday, 5 PM–8 PM
    • Saturday, 10 AM–12 PM
    • Sunday post-6 PM (highest basket value)
  • Monthly Highs: March 8–9, March 21–24

Weekend planning & weekday stocking still rule behavior patterns.

Where People Shopped – Regional Trends

  • Top Regions by Volume:
    • Bucharest – 16.2%
    • Cluj – 6.1%
    • Iași – 5.9%
    • Constanța – 5.6%
    • Timiș – 5.4%
  • Fastest Growing Counties (MoM):
    • Sibiu – +8.1%
    • Prahova – +7.3%
    • Alba – +6.4%

Urban hubs dominate, but regional cities like Sibiu are emerging volume contributors.

Best-selling Products By Category

🧃 Beverages

  • Top SKU by Value: Prigat Orange Juice 1L
  • Top by Volume: Red Bull 250ml
  • Notable Entry: Vitamin Water SKUs (Boosted by health positioning)

🍖 Meat

  • Top Seller: Cris-Tim Pork Sausages 400g
  • Volume Driver: Chicken Drumsticks
  • Rising Star: Pre-marinated pork cuts (grilling prep)

🥦 Fruits & Vegetables

  • Cherry Tomatoes (Roșii cherry România) – Top Fresh Produce
  • Cucumbers & Lettuce Mixes – Core basket items
  • Decliner: Oranges, Lemons, and Grapefruit

🧼 Others (Household & Personal)

  • Top Household: Cif Universal Spray
  • Top Personal Care: Dove 250ml Body Wash (campaign-aligned)
  • Emerging: Refill eco-packs in urban households

‍