Proximity stores in good shape thanks to stay-at-home orders, study shows | Progresiv

Mitigation measures imposed by authorities are affecting Romanians' shopping behaviour. Purchases are made at the closest store and reflect stock-up rather than top-up.

Both proximity stores and hypermarkets have seen increases in sales. A Nielsen study shows that supermarkets were the biggest earners in sales value (+36,1%), with hypermarkets seeing just a 25,4% increase. Cash&carries, which usually supply traditiona trade, recorded a 34,5% growth compared to last-year same period.

After the spike recorded in the week ending March 15, when some products grew by more than 400%, the number of products bought began decreasing.

Another area where behaviour changes can be seen is tabacco, which grew by 19% in supermarkets but decreased by 6% in hypermarkets.

Nielsen data shows that from the beginning of the pandemic to March 29 the total value of FMCG sales grew by 31,3%.