The large retail chains in Romania that operate mainly in shopping centers managed to maintain an average growth rate of 12% in 2018, according to the second edition of Retailers’ Metrics study by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. The figure is similar to the one reported for 2017 but double the advance in consumption, which increased by 5.9% during the first ten months of the year.

The study looked at the expansion and turnover growth of 88 retail companies operating stores under more than 100 international and local brands in FMCG, Fashion, Electro-IT, Cosmetics, Sports, Footwear, Kids and Toys, Jewelry, Food and Beverages, Home & Deco and Bookstores.

The retailers included in the study had more than 5,000 stores at the beginning of 2018, adding 487 new units over the year, compared to 522 openings in 2017. When it comes to the financial performance, the cumulative turnover of these companies is estimated at EUR 15.37 billion in 2018, representing a market share of almost 40% of the total estimated turnover of the retail sector, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox said.

“The 2018 evolution shows that large retailers with tens or hundreds of stores continue to gain market share both organically and by expansion. Even if 2018 was not a breakthrough year in terms of deliveries of new retail space, and the few openings were also concentrated in the last months of the year, most retailers have found resources to grow based on wage increases and purchasing power, inflation and also online commerce,” said Cristi Moga, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

The largest turnover increases are expected for retailers selling children’s articles (39%), clothing (17%) and Home & Deco products (16%).

Colliers: Plenty of room for modern retail growth in Romania in next years

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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