Companies in Romania last year offered 50% more gift vouchers to female employees between March 1 and March 8 (the Women’s Day), according to a study conducted by Sodexo, one of the main players in Romania’s vouchers market.

“We notice a year-on-year increase in the number of companies that offer gift vouchers to their female employees around March 8,” said Jean Istasse, CEO Sodexo Romania. He expects the growing trend to continue this year.

Over 45% of companies that offered gifts vouchers for Woman’s Day in 2014 are active in the industry, services and distribution sectors. Over half of the companies that offered such gifts have between 1 and 19 employees.

Over 27% of total employing companies are from Bucharest and Ilfov county, shows the study.

More than 40% of female employees who will receive Sodexo gift vouchers for Women’s Day will use them to buy cosmetics, 18% will purchase clothing items, and 7% will use them to buy jewelry.

Sodexo conducted the research between February 1, 2014 and February 15, 2015, on a sample of around 1,000 companies.

Sodexo Romania is part of French group Sodexo which currently operates in 80 countries and has 419,000 employees.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com