Bucharest is emerging as a key luxury retail destination in CEE, supported by rising purchasing power, growing tourism (over one million foreign tourists spent at least one night in the capital in 2025), and consolidation of prime high street locations, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Romanian developer Millstone, controlled by Johan Rogiers and Horia Chioseaua, has officially begun construction on a boutique residential project on Calea Victoriei, in central Bucharest, which represents a €18 million investment.
Bucharest-based Calea Victoriei, the main retail street in Romania, boasts a prime monthly rental level of €60 per sqm, which was 9% higher compared with last year, according to a Cushman & Wakefield report.
The EU unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.0% in 2025, up from 5.9% in 2024, according to new data covering people aged 15-74 in the labour force, according to Eurostat.
Romanians spent €63 million in cinemas in 2025, a record level for the local market, reflecting a 7% increase compared with 2024, while the number of admissions remained stable at 11.2 million, according to data from the Romanian Film Center analysed by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
The rapid development of online commerce in recent years has transformed locker networks from an alternative delivery solution into an essential component of Romania's logistics infrastructure, according to representatives of Keba Romania, a provider of infrastructure and technology solutions for logistics, banking services and electric mobility.
Romania's National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis (CNSP) has cut its 2026 economic growth forecast by 0.9 percentage points to just 0.1%, down from the previous 1% projection, citing current macroeconomic conditions.
Enexus, a renewable energy development and construction company, entered 2026 with 210 MW under active construction across Romania, while securing an additional 195 MW pipeline with an estimated value of approximately €150 million.