We premiered the results of the “Preference for Romanian Products” study during the Retail Arena 2018 event.
The Made in RO Retail panel was opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Petre Daea, followed by a presentation by Corina Cimpoca, founder of MKOR Consulting.
The presentation on Romanian products kicked off the discussions alongside the other panelists: Liviu Ungureanu (Dacia Plant), Alexandru Rusu (Doraly), Valer Hancas (Kaufland), Adina Craciunescu (Diana Supermarket), Catalin Samara (Carrefour), Cornel Caramizaru (Friesland Campina) and Mihai Bonca (Brand Architects).
Why a study on Romanian products?
The Preference for Romanian Products study comes in the context of the Centenary year, an opportunity for Romanian entrepreneurs to reflect on the changes of the last 100 years.
MKOR Consulting aimed to celebrate Romania’s 100 years the best way it knows how: through a study that puts Romanian products in the spotlight.
Results of the “Preference for Romanian Products” study
According to Corina’s presentation, 82% of Romanians buy consumer goods at least once a week, spending an average of 1,010 lei per month on food, personal care, and cleaning products.
This figure is also confirmed by data from the National Institute of Statistics. According to official statistics, in the second quarter of 2018, total household consumption expenditure amounted to 2,187 lei, of which approximately 46% represents spending on consumer goods.
What types of Romanian products do consumers prefer?
96% of consumers include Romanian food, cleaning, and personal care products in their shopping carts. Thus, at the end of a typical month, approximately 81% of all food products and over 40% of personal care and cleaning items purchased by Romanians are made in Romania.
Moreover, when at the shelf, 51% of Romanians frequently choose Romanian products over imported ones, and 29% specifically look for stores that include “Made in Romania” products in their offering.
Fresh, perishable Romanian products such as dairy, meat, cold cuts, fruits, and vegetables are chosen by more than 9 out of 10 consumers. Napolact, Covalact, and Cris-Tim are the brands that enjoy the highest appreciation among Romanians.
Half of the consumers of Romanian products add care and beauty items made in Romania to their shopping carts. Farmec and Gerovital lead the top of the most known and used brands in this category by a wide margin.
Packaged food products with a long shelf life, made in Romania, follow in the top of preferences, being chosen by 49% of consumers. Boromir, Băneasa, and Scandia are the most loved Romanian brands in this category.
Local products versus imported ones
Almost 5 out of 10 people who prefer Romanian products choose them primarily to support Romanian companies. Besides the feeling of patriotism, 43% appreciate them for their quality, and 39% consider them more natural compared to imported ones.
In contrast, most of those who prefer imported products choose them primarily because they have better prices (49% of those who choose imported products) and are of superior quality (33%) compared to those made in Romania.
Despite the fact that it enjoys high appreciation among consumers, the brand ‘Made in Ro does not enjoy a strong enough promotion’, Corina Cimpoca also observed.
47% of consumers of Romanian products consider that they are only to a small extent promoted as ‘Made in Romania’. However, more than 3 out of 4 people who frequently choose Romanian products are willing to pay, on average, almost 30% more for them.
You have free access to the presentation
If you weren’t in the room or couldn’t watch the livestream in real-time, you can watch the full recording here:
And we invite you to go through Corina’s presentation below:
About the ‘Preference for Romanian Products’ study
The ‘Preference for Romanian Products’ study provides insights for retailers, manufacturers, and communication teams who have in their portfolio or have proposed to introduce Romanian products.
It was conducted by MKOR Consulting between September-October 2018, on a sample of 1,067 respondents aged between 18-54, nationally representative based on gender, age, and regional distribution.
Download the research report for free
The full report provides extensive information about consumer goods purchasing habits, preference for Romanian products, Romanians’ favorite brands, and the level of promotion of Romanian products.
The information is supported by in-depth research conducted by MKOR specialists through desk research and the analysis of data collected from study respondents.
👉 The complete data is available for free to all those interested on the page dedicated to the study.
About Retail Arena
Retail Arena is an event organized at the initiative of Wall-Street.ro and is addressed to both large retail chains, online stores, as well as service providers, logistics and marketing specialists, commercial space owners, and FMCG manufacturers.
The event covers both the local market, through a panel dedicated to ‘made in Romania’ retail, their international expansion, and a global vision, evoked by players operating worldwide.
Corina’s outfit during the event was provided by the brand NISSA, which we thank for this.
