Romania leads EU in non-food retail growth, with consumption at historic highs

Modern shopping centers with a total leasable area of more than 160,000 square meters were built this year, according to preliminary data from Colliers consultants, who point out that the local market still offers significant growth potential. Pitesti was in the spotlight in 2024, attracting almost 45% of the new space added to the national stock, which reached around 4.7 million square metres. This remarkable performance was underpinned by two major projects: the Argeș Mall, developed by Prime Kapital/MAS REI, and M Park Pitești, developed by Mitiska.

The new projects are well received by the market and there continues to be strong tenant interest in store openings. Vacancy rates remain low in the dominant projects, with waiting lists in some of the most popular malls. A preliminary estimate for 2025 is for around 200,000 square metres of new deliveries, including the 62,000 square metre expansion of the Mall of Moldova in Iasi by Prime Kapital/MAS REI. Thus, by the end of 2026, Romania could exceed the threshold of 5 million square metres of retail space, marking an important moment in the market from the point of view of developers and investors.

“The results obtained by various retailers show that Romania is consistently either the best or among the best in the European Union in terms of profit margins. This indicates a low level of competition, which means that there is still room for new players to enter the market. The outlook for bricks-and-mortar retail is encouraging, underpinned by rising consumer spending, falling interest rates, improving consumer confidence and continued growth in tourist arrivals. Stable rents and favourable rental forecasts are helping to maintain the value of the retail market and boost investment activity. The high yields offered by shopping centres are also a key factor that will continue to stimulate investment returns in the coming year,” says Silviu Pop, Director ECE & Romania Research at Colliers.

According to Eurostat data, retail companies in Romania achieved a gross operating margin of approximately 9% in 2022, outperforming countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. This favourable environment has attracted several international brands to open their first physical stores in Romania in 2024, having previously been present only through multi-brand retailers or online sales. New entrants include Rituals Cosmetics and Kiko Milano in the cosmetics sector, Budmil and Bogner in the fashion sector, as well as Happy Restaurants and Hesburger in the restaurant sector. Additionally, Poland's largest food retailer specializing in proximity concepts, Żabka, has entered the local market this year with its Froo brand.

In real terms, adjusted for inflation, data from the National Institute of Statistics indicate that the purchasing power of the average Romanian has doubled between 2014 and the present. Despite the uncertainty brought by the pandemic years, the resources accumulated prior to this period enabled Romania to maintain strong performance. According to Eurostat, Romania recorded a 58% increase in turnover in the non-food retail sector, the highest in the European Union. In comparison, other countries such as Poland (+40%), Hungary (+14%), and the Czech Republic (+10%) experienced significantly lower growth.

“This trend highlights the growing appeal of the Romanian retail market, which continues to draw renowned international players. The retail sector has once again become an attractive target for acquisitions. Not only in Romania, but also globally, investors are increasingly focusing on this asset class, which has proven its resilience during the pandemic. In Romania, growth remains strong, fueling a relatively busy calendar of transactions involving commercial assets. Over the past two years, the retail sector has accounted for approximately 40% of all investment transactions in the country,” concludes Simina Niculita, Director | Partner | Retail Agency at Colliers.