The long-term consumer goods market in Romania grew by 12.4 percent in the second quarter of this year, compared to the same period of last year, according to a recent GfK report. The quarter-on-quarter growth was of 11.6 percent.

This market reached EUR 613 million in the first half of the year, with EUR 360 million of them in the second quarter. The biggest increase was recorded by IT products – 27.5 percent, followed by household items, up 17.8 percent and photo equipment, up 17.7 percent. The telecom sector, electronic and white goods went up by less than 10 percent. The office equipments segment took a dive of 3.6 percent and remained the only segment which didn't post growth.

Romanians bought more kitchen equipment and espresso makers, smoothing irons and vacuum cleaners. The sales of cameras and digital photo frames reached EUR 11 million in the second quarter of the year.

The telecom market finally switched from a negative trend to an increasing trend, up 7.8 percent in the second quarter of the year, on the same period in 2010. This was mainly due to smart phones, which triggered the new increase wave on the telecom market.

Romanian also bought EUR 58 million of electronics in the second quarter of the year, up 5.7 percent in the same quarter in 2010. White goods achieved sales of EUR 75 million.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)