Number of companies in the retail sector in Romania 2008-2022
There were 124,883 retail companies in 2022 in Romania, which decreased by nearly 20 percent since 2008. However, the retail sector revenue has increased by 216 percent since 2008, registering 354 billion Romanian lei in 2022.
Food Retail
The biggest food retailers in 2022 in Romania were the two German companies, Lidl, which entered the market in 2011, and Kaufland, which opened its first store in Bucharest in 2005. Profi and Mega Image, the third and the sixth largest food retailers, are the only big players established in Romania. However, they are owned by the Dutch-Belgian Ahold Delhaize holding. They also had the most stores throughout the country, Profi registering 1,641 stores and Mega Image 955 stores.
Romanian Retail Sector
Throughout the years, Romania has proved that it is a stable and attractive emerging market. The annual business confidence index for the retail sector has slightly increased in recent years, indicating an increase in business confidence. Among the medium and large retailers, EUROSANTIS SRL, specializing in pharma retail, registered the most significant revenue growth in 2022, recording a revenue growth of 108.6 percent since 2021, amounting to 66 million Romanian lei.
Malls are thriving more than ever in Romania. There are currently 21 shopping centers in Bucharest alone. AFI Cotroceni has a total area of 240 thousand square meters and registered the highest revenue in the country in 2022 – 67.1 million euros. Meanwhile, Era Shopping Park Oradea achieved the highest net profit – 29.88 million euros.
