Romanian retail market faces decline amid high inflation

The Romanian retail sector is facing significant economic headwinds, with overall retail turnover decreasing by 5.7% in the first half of 2026. This decline comes amid ten consecutive months of contracting consumer consumption, driven by annual inflation remaining above 10% and a 1.2% drop in GDP during the first quarter.

According to NielsenIQ Romania, consumers spent 68 billion lei on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and Electro-IT products in H1 2026. While the value of FMCG sales rose by 5.2% due to inflation, sales volumes remained largely stagnant as consumers shifted toward private labels, cheaper channels, and promotional items. Conversely, the Electro-IT market saw a decline, with sales value dropping by 7.5% and telecom unit sales falling by 13.8%.

In contrast to the general market decline, the online auto parts retailer AutoEco.ro reported a 27.5% increase in turnover, reaching 14.72 million lei. The company saw a 75.8% surge in orders, reaching 61,473. CEO Costin Stan attributed this growth to market share gains through catalog expansion and competitive pricing, noting that an aging national car fleet—with an average age of 16.2 years—drives demand for maintenance over new vehicle purchases.