GfK: Romania's consumer goods market records slower increase in Q1

Romania’s consumer goods market rose by 1.7% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, but the sales volume declined for the first time since 2015, according to the GfK Consumer Confidence. The Romanian consumers’ confidence reached the highest levels from the beginning of the crisis in the first three months of this year. Fresh food and personal care products saw constant sales in the first quarter. Meanwhile, packaged food saw a 3% annual increase, followed by beverages (2%). Home care products recorded the highest increase of 7%, a sign that Romanians pay more attention to home comfort. Cheese specialties, milk desserts, cereal bars, dried fruits, cider or frozen pizzas continued to grow. Meanwhile, basic food products such as sugar, flour, rice, oil or margarine continued to decline, according to the GfK study. Modern trade reached a market share of 62% in the first quarter of the year, gaining about 2 percentage points at the expense of traditional trade. Romanians buy more expensive products for second year in a row editor@romania-insider.com