Romanian Grocery Retail – For all our readers abroad, these are the most important news from Romanian Grocery Retail Market and FMCG industry, in March 2020, provided by retail-FMCG.ro, the most read B2B publication in online, in Romania, from retail & FMCG niche.
Retail
Mega Image accelerated the strategy for sustainable development that aims for reducing the pollution and protecting the environment through measures and solutions to reduce and reuse the amount of plastic sold in the stores.
Credit foto: Shutterstock
In the context of the expansion of COVID-19, the retailer announced additional measures of prevention and safety for clients and for the teams in the store and in logistics centre. regarding the critical measures in COVID-19 context, that conducted to price increases at some products on all production and distribution network, Mega Image announced new actions to reduce the prices from the shelves in this period. The retailer joined the volunteering initiatives from Romania and allocated the telephonic line „Call Mega!” to facilitate the access at shopping delivered at home for the persons of over 65 years and for persons with disabilities.
Lidl implemented new measures to protect employees and clients and develops media campaign of informing and accountability of clients.
Kaufland Romania instituted additional hygiene, disinfection and prevention measures in stores and offices, to increase the safety of clients and employees. Regarding the evolution of the actual situation, the retailer started additional measures that increase the safety of the clients and teams from the stores. From the desire to support the special efforts they are making these days, Kaufland Romania offered a total bonus of 1,6 millions euro of its teams from the first line from stores and deposits and introduced the immediate payment of the additional hours made in this period, according to the internal criteria.
As a result of the intense increase of the number of clients on the 11th of March 2020 in cora hypermarkets, the cora Romania company issued a press release through which wants to reassure the romanian consumers of the existence of some sufficient stocks of food products and non-food products. About the recent news, the retailer announced that took the decision to suspend temporarily the communication of the promotions on the Facebook page of cora, in respect for clients, concidering the delicate situation and challenges that we all confront in this period by COVID-19.
The management of the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) organised on 11th of March 2020 a meeting with the representatives and members of the Association of the Biggest Commercial Networks in Romania (AMRCR).
PENNY store network expanded with a new unit in Lunca Cetatuii, Iasi. The 257 PENNY stores opened in Romania have changed its program starting with 26th of March 2020.
In the actual context of the crisis generated by the epidemic with the new COVID-19 coronavirus, on the point of view of the competition law, the Competition Council made a few recommendations to the companies, mostly to the retail companies, that can adopt more measures for preventing the coronavirus spread, but in the same time, these doesn’t have to conduct to serious restraints of the competition. Also, the Competition Council made the following recommendation: the companies can act coordinated to avoid deficit of the essential products and to assure an balanced distribution of these. The Competition Council recommended, also, to the companies implementing some measures for managing efficiently the crisis generated bu coronavirus, to assure the balance of the market by limiting the quantity of the essential products acquired by a single person, on a single receipt, to reduce the risk of speculate.
The Association of the Biggest Commercial Networks in Romania (AMRCR) made an appeal to all the store clients in Romania: „Please be abstinent and wise at what and how much you buy. We understand your worries, but to buy more than you need can sometimes mean to let others without products that they also need. There are quantities and stocks for everyone, if we are supportive and we think about others needs.” Regarding to the information appeared in public space referring to closing some stores of the commercial networks of food products, AMRCR denied categorically such media information under different forms. The members of AMRCR remained dedicated to the mission of ensuring the food products availability for romanian consumers, even in these difficult moments.
„At METRO Cash & Carry Romania, we honor and recognize the important role that our stores have in supplying of products and essential services to the clients and communities in which we live.”, declared Roland Ruffing, CEO METRO CASH & CARRY ROMANIA.
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Our recommendations
We centralized all the measures, initiatives and concrete actions done by food retailers for raising of the consumers safety in stores, in the context of the epidemic of the coronavirus COVID-19, but also some recommendations from these.
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To assure the health and safety of colleagues, clients, agriculture, partners and communities in which activates, Carrefour modified terms of signing up in the program of conversion to ecological agriculture, Crestem Romania BIO. The retailer is committed to maintain the prices until Easter for 500 products.
Over the period of the present situation, Auchan Retail Romania implemented progressively, in the last weeks, a series of additional measures of prevention and protection in all Auchan stores. Hypermarkets and supermarkets Auchan and the classic proximity stores MyAuchan are opened for clients in a everyday program, from monday to sunday, from 8:00 to 21:00.
Regarding the actual context, dm drogerie markt accorded an important attention to safety and took special measures, like working from home for the employees whose activity permits this, frequent cleaning of drug stores, central deposit and offices, and putting at the disposition of all disinfectants, disposable gloves and plexiglass partitions for the cash registers at each point of work.
Profi offered help to the ones, forced by the circumstances, who entered in technical unemployment, especially the people from non-food retail. Also, the retailer shortened the program of the stores.
FMCG
Toneli, leader on the consumer egg market in Romania, continued the communication campaign for the advantages of consuming the eggs, code 1 – Free Range, started last year and started an extensive process of in-store promoting in modern retail, through sampling actions of tasting and flyers distributing. In the context of the national and global events, less favorable for businesses, Toneli wanted to make known to partners and consumers the approach modality of the company, centered on two big priorities: employees and their families, community security and the security of the distribution system.
The dairy product range ”Din Tara Ta”, important part of the development strategy of the Sole Mizo Romania company, produced in Romania, with raw materials from Romania, is expanding on the local market. The new range of diary products Mizo Milk Shake, in ”on the go” package, completed last year the Mizo Coffee Selection range of the company Sole Mizo Romania, in the context in which the consumers manifested a rising preference for the milk with tastes.
The Recycling Map, national, interactive platform, that permits identification and localization of the selective collection points of recycling waste in Romania, was was used by over 130.000 users and gathered 7829 separated collection points.
Prodplast company, one of the most important packages producer in Romania, with an experience of over 60 years, continued the investments in the factory in Buftea, where the capacity of production will raise to make new biodegradable and compostable products
Starting with this year, Nutricia Romania, nutrition company of Danone, announced changes in the managing team.
Inspired by the strong women who can do two things at the same time, SANO specialists created the Sano Maxima range that cleans strong, intense the clothes and lets a long lasting perfume, to offer maximum results.
The actual situation, in the context of the epidemic with the new coronavirus COVID-19, is new for everyone, inclusive for the niche of retail & FMCG, and before we block, social and economical, we can find together solutions, based on empathy and optimism.
Farmec, the biggest romanian producers of cosmetics, started the production of two new hygiene products for personal use, based on 70% alcohol: Sanitizing lotion for hands and Sanitizing gel for hands.
Cris-Tim group joined the campaign of the Foundation „Pretuieste Viata” and donated food products to some people who are in high risk categories of COVID-19 disease, whose life could be endangered by exposure these days.
Coty announced starting of the production of hydro-alcoholic gel that is used as a disinfectant for hands to help beating the COVID-19 disease.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development put at the disposition of small vegetables producers, starting with 30th of march 2020, a portal to complete the quantities of available vegetables to facilitate a dialogue with the biggest retail networks.
Vascar, one of the main producers of meat meals and preserves, supported the efforts to control SARS-CoV-2 and donated to the County Emergency Hospital from Vaslui protective suits and 1000 test kits.
A month after launching Micul Gradinar brand, we talked to Gabriel Ureche, general manager of Agrocosm Consult, who detailed the evolution of the brand on the market, including in the current context.
E-commerce
The Romanian Association of Online Stores (ARMO) and the Association of Courier Operators in Romania (AOCR) informed citizens in Romania that online traders and courier companies members of the two associations, took every measure necessary for the entire logistics and delivery flow related to an online purchase to develop in safe conditions of hygiene and health for employees and clients.
2Performant, marketing platform for eCommerce, beside The Entrepreneurship Academy, Educativa and MSM, created www.ajutorspitale.entreprenation.ro, a platform that brings together people from medical system, who are now in the first line of the fight against COVID-19, and entrepreneurs in Romania who want and can offer precious help in these moments. 2Performant.com came in the support of the offline and online stores with a new campaign through which assures support in selling the products with the community of affiliates in the portfolio.
Omniconvert, romanian company specialized in developing marketing technologies for companies in e-commerce, offered the possibilit for all IMM’s from this domain to access technologies to improve their conversion rate.
Services
The accentuation of the coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic created significant problems in romanian economy, from transports to the industry of event, tourism and HORECA.
In the actual context generated by Coronavirus, the need to work at home and have virtual meeting raised quickly. Cisco‘s objective is to help clients and employees to remain connected and efficient.
Mastercard announced at european level increased the limit for contactless payments without PIN and now Romania joined the 29 countries in which it will be applied this change, meant to improve the shopping experience.
Considering the evolution of the international epidemiological situation determined by the coronavirus SARS-COV-2 and prioritizing the supply chain with food products, FMCG and drugs, ARILOG – The Association of Logistics, Warehousing and Transport Specialists requested the Government of Romania and the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations to protect all the activity domains that contributes to the vital process of delivery of food products and drugs to the population, that implies transport/distribution activities, deposit and manipulation of goods and in the packaging industry.
A number of 23 distribution centers supplies everyday store to the biggest nine retailers from the country, working in this period at maximum capacity, to assures that on the shelves the people find all they need, presented Dunwell, the biggest independent agency of Real estate specialized in industrial sector.
Analysis
Most big organizations in Romania have a business continuity plan, that is usually objectified by a document that contains the actions necessary to resume the activity in case of any atypical situation and with significant impact on the business.
In February 2020, in grocery retail in Romania were opened 25 stores, in this account entering just the stores opened and officially released by the retailers.
In Romania, the total growth in value of the FMCG products was of 37,2%, according to Nielsen.
Entrepreneurs make an appeal for collaboration in business environment, to avoid financial blockage and layoffs.
Romanian Grocery Retail
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