Romanian retail & FMCG market – For all our readers abroad, these are the most important news from Romanian retail & FMCG market, in May 2026, provided by retail-FMCG.ro, the most read B2B online publication, in Romania, from the retail & FMCG niche.
EXPO RETAIL 2026 – Digital, Green & Tech, the fifth edition of the professional fair dedicated to technology, equipment and services for retail, e-commerce and FMCG industry, that will take place on the 23rd-24th of September 2026 at the Polytechnic National University of Science and Technology from Bucharest, announced the new partners and exhibitors.
Personalized offers for partners at contact@expo-retail.com or tel. +40720120456
Book your stand here: www.expo-retail.com/en/exibitors/
EXPO PET 2026 – Food & Accessories, the third edition of the B2B exhibition with products from the pet food and accessories categories for pets, which will take place between the 23rd and 24th of September 2026, at the National University of Sciences and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, announced the first partners and exhibitors
If you are a producer or importer of pet food and accessories, book your stand here: www.expo-petfood.com/en/exibitors/
Personalized offers for partners at contact@expo-petfood.com or tel. 0720120456
Retail – PENNY
PENNY Romania finished 2025 with a market share of 10.6 billion lei, a growth of 12.01% than last year.
The retailer consolidated its status as the most dynamic market from REWE International, after finishing 2025 for the 12th consecutive year with a growth of two digits in the market share.
PENNY is entering a new business direction: continuous growth in a much more demanding environment.
Retail – Kaufland
Kaufland Romania expanded its presence at a national level and opened a new store in Chitila, Ilfov district.
Retail – Auchan
The Tour of Romania 2026 was officially presented at the Government House in Chisinau, on the 25th of May, where there were also present members from the Auchan Romania board, the co-organizer partner of the event.
Retail – Carrefour
Carrefour Romania accelerated the development of its Express proximity format by launching Food Stop, a new food concept implemented in six stores in Bucharest, Cluj, Calarasi and Vicovu de Jos.
Retail – Profi
Profi, the retailer that owns the biggest national coverage and has the most stores in Romania, opened 3 stores in May 2026, reaching a national network of 1756 stores.
Retail – other retailers
Maxi Pet, the national leader in the commerce of pet food and accessories, opened a new hypermarket in Bucharest, Maxi Pet Emil Racovita, its third store in the city.
Ahold Delhaize, the retail group in which Mega Image and Profi in Romania take part, announced that the current CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe, Claude Sarrailh, has announced its leaving from the company for a professional opportunity in Esselunga S.p.A., an Italian network of food retail, where he will be Executive Manager.
BIPA, the drug store brand of REWE Group, continued its development in Romania and launched the delivery service through Glovo.
The retail market in Romania went through a first quarter marked by contrasts in 2026, according to the Romanian Retail Marketbeat Q1 2026 published by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
POK, the network of POK dug stores, a 100% Romanian business developed by DAXI Business Group, proposes a range of 2000-3000 products, of which a main part is represented by its own imports.
Tinervis Group, the company that owns LUCA, reached 200 selling points in Romania and Poland.
FMCG
Pepsi launched Pepsi Treats in Romania, a new range of zero-sugar beverages with aromas.
Activia expanded its portfolio and launched a new range of drinking kefir made from a unique mix of 16 types of cultures that help the diversity of intestinal flora.
Kandia Dulce, one of the most loved chocolate brands in Romania, reached the consumers’ attention with a big relaunch, which marked a new chapter in its story, which started in 1890.
Coca-Cola HBC Romania, a strategic partner of bottling of The Coca-Cola Company and leader on the local market of beverages, announced a new series of key appointments at the local and group levels, consolidating its position in the sustainability, commercial excellence, and talent development zones.
La Salina Winery, part of the ISSA Estate group, announces a new performance on the international scene of wine: ISSA Pinot Noir Rose 2025 received two of the most important awards in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2026.
Tuborg, one of the most well-known beer brands at a global level, announced a new visual identity.
Starting in May, Mircea Munteanu is Head of Sales at Danone Romania after he occupied the position of Shopper Activation Manager at Danone Romania and Bulgaria.
Ursus Breweries marks a premiere on the Romanian market and expanded the Cooler brand by launching the first functional beverage in its portfolio, a carbonated water with vitamins and minerals, Cooler.
SanoVita, one of the most important Romanian producers of vegan foods, named Mihai Neagu as Chief Executive Officer.
The national move ”I also live healthy”, initiated and developed by PRAIS Foundation with Nestle Romania, as Founder Partners, celebrated 15 years of continuous activity dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle for children between 6 and 12 years old, becoming one of the most persistent programs of extracurricular education dedicated to health.
Inter Conecter, along with the most well-known chocolate producer, Millano Group, brought to Romania a new range of innovation in the premium chocolate category – the UBE Chocolate and Matcha Chocolate and officially opened the direction of an international trend that redefines the way in which consumers interact with sweets, supported by TikTok, and Instagram.
Pepsi marked 6 decades of presence in Romania through a unique exhibition: ”The can of offline memories”, that can be visited at Art Safari between the 28th of May and the 28th of June.
Food Service
Popeyes opened the first restaurant in Targu Mures, keeping up with the expansion in the country, so this is the third city in Romania where Popeyes expands its presence in 2026.
Spartan, the biggest network of fast-casual Greek restaurants, in a franchise system, continued its strategy of accelerated development and opened a new restaurant in Ramnicu Valcea at the beginning of May, reaching 58 units in Romania.
Sphera Franchise Group, the biggest group in the food service industry in Romania, launched wagamama, the pan-Asian brand known at an international level, marking the group’s entrance into a new restaurant segment and a significant step in its strategy to diversify the portfolio.
On the 12th of May, in Bucharest, a new edition of the think tank of Hospitality Culture Institute took place, dedicated to the New Food Supply Ecosystem theme.
Mesopotamia expands its presence in Transilvania with a complete restaurant in Floresti.
Premier Restaurants Romania, the operator of the McDonald’s restaurants in Romania, continued to invest in the team and launched a new recruitment campaign at a national level.
Burger King and Popeyes are expanding their presence in Romania by opening a restaurant in Razoare zone in Bucharest, marking a premiere on the local market: a commune concept, in which the two brands are functioning in the same space.
E-commerce
Sezamo online supermarket announced that the peonies generate 85% of its sales of flowers in the April-June season, confirming the status of national flower as one of the most powerful seasonal products in online retail. The retailer launched the Farmer Partnership Program in Romania, a program dedicated to small local farmers who want to quickly and efficiently access the Bucharest and Ilfov markets. Sezamo viewed an accelerated increase in interest for local products and for the „from farm to table” concept, while more consumers are searching for fresh products, with clear traceability and that are coming from local producers. The online retailer continued its operational expansion and launched the delivery service in Ploiesti starting on the 1st of July 2026.
eMAG group continued the investments in technology, logistics, and services that support the development of the digital economy and announced a budget of 1.2 billion lei for the next year.
In an interview for retail-FMCG.ro, David Chmelař, CEO of Heureka Group, and Sorin-Adrian Dochian, Country Manager Compari.ro explained the strategy behind the transformation of the marketplaces and the role that Romania is playing in the regional plans of the group.
One year after launching Wolt in Romania, the data showed the appetite of Romanians for comfort food, quick daily shopping and the bigger interest for retail zone, supported by partnerships like Carrefour Express and BIPA.
Glovo, the technological platform for on-demand orders, launched the partnership with Freshful, the first 100% online hypermarket and one of the most important players on the e-grocery market in Bucharest.
EcoBioGreen
RetuRO, the administrator of the Guarantee-Returning System, the biggest project of the circular economy in Romania, announced reaching the threshold of 10 billion SGR packages collected since starting the system.
Services
POS Media Romania announced a strategic partnership with Rompetrol and EasyPay System, which brings new opportunities for digital retail media on the local market through a national network of gas stations.
IT Genetics S.A., a Romanian technology company specializing in digital automation and operational efficiency solutions for businesses, announced that it is acquiring Scale Expert, a Romanian company specializing in weighing solutions and systems dedicated to the retail, logistics and distribution segments.
Analysis
In April 2026, 14 stores were opened in the local FMCG retail market.
NielsenIQ launched a new global report, The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West, that analysis the mode in which the intersection between commercial innovation from the East and retail media monetization from the West transforms the consuming commerce.
Events
Compari.ro, the main platform for price comparison in Romania and part of Heureka Group, announced the winners of the first local edition of the competition ”The Store of the Year 2025”.
This year there were awarded 26 performancec in the Voted Product of the Year and Voted Product of the Year – Private Label Distributor competitions, that awards innovation of the product and Voted Brand of the Year, a competition that evaluates and rewards the force and relevance of the brands.
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