The FMCG Market in Romania Food and Non-Food Fast Moving Consumer Goods – market volume, key players, opportunities, market access requirements and a directory of FMCG importers and distributors for foreign manufacturers of branded and private-label products Edition: October 2026 Language: English ·
Contents
1. Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................3
2. What Are Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)?..........................................................................3
3. Market Volume and Structure............................................................................................................. 4
3.1 Size and growth..................................................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Channel structure..................................................................................................................................5
3.3 Regulatory and economic framework affecting prices...........................................................................5
4. The Major Players.................................................................................................................................5
4.1 Food retail and cash & carry................................................................................................................. 5
4.2 FMCG importers and distributors..........................................................................................................6
5. Market Opportunities for New Foreign Suppliers.............................................................................7
5.1 Private label and no-name products...................................................................................................... 7
5.2 Branded products..................................................................................................................................7
5.3 Products and product groups with particularly good sales prospects....................................................7
6. Market Access Requirements.............................................................................................................8
6.1 Requirements for all suppliers...............................................................................................................8
6.2 Suppliers from the European Union......................................................................................................9
6.3 Suppliers from non-EU European countries..........................................................................................9
6.4 Suppliers from outside Europe............................................................................................................ 10
7. Route to Market and Practical Recommendations.........................................................................10
8. Overview: Importer Types and Brand-Building Orientation..........................................................11
9. Directory of FMCG Importers and Distributors...............................................................................12
9.1 Full-range importers and distributors serving retail and HoReCa (food and non-food).......................12
9.2 Cash & carry wholesale....................................................................................................................... 16
9.3 Specialised importers – Food and beverages.....................................................................................17
9.4 Specialised importers – Non-food (OTC/consumer health, cosmetics, household, organic, pet)........18
10. Sources and Methodology.............................................................................................................. 22
10.1 Methodology......................................................................................................................................22
10.2 Main sources..................................................................................................................................... 23
1. Executive Summary
Romania is the largest consumer market in South-Eastern Europe (approx. 19 million inhabitants) and one of the most dynamic FMCG markets in the European Union. According to NielsenIQ, Romanian households spent almost RON 140 billion (≈ EUR 27.7 billion) on fast moving consumer goods in the retail channels tracked in 2025. Value sales grew by around 6–7 % in 2025, volumes by roughly 3 % over the twelve months to September 2025 – one of the highest growth rates in Europe – before slowing in the second half of 2025 as fiscal tightening (VAT increase to 21 %/11 % in August 2025) and high inflation (9.7 % at the end of 2025) squeezed household budgets. The market is highly concentrated at retail level and increasingly so: the German Schwarz Group (Lidl and Kaufland) leads with more than RON 48 billion combined turnover; Ahold Delhaize has merged Profi into Mega Image and is now the largest store network in the country; Carrefour exited Romania in 2026 and its roughly 480 stores now belong to the Romanian investor Pavăl Holding (owners of Dedeman). Discounters are approaching a 30 % share of FMCG value, while traditional trade has fallen below 25 % – but still represents tens of thousands of independent shops that are served almost exclusively by national and regional distributors. For foreign manufacturers this creates three main entry routes: • Private label / contract manufacturing – private labels account for only about 20 % of FMCG value in Romania versus roughly 37 % on average in Europe. Discounters, Mega Image/Profi, Carrefour under its new owner, the cash & carry operators and several distributors with their own brands (Aquila, DRIM, Marathon, Lucsor, Macromex) are actively expanding their own ranges and tender for suppliers. • Branded products via a national importer/distributor – a small group of large, professional distributors (Interbrands Orbico, Aquila, Marathon, Simba Invest, Elgeka-Ferfelis, DRIM) reaches 10,000–70,000 points of sale each. Some of them explicitly act as brand builders for foreign principals. • Specialist importers for categories with specific regulatory or channel requirements – frozen/chilled food, spirits and wine, OTC/food supplements and dermocosmetics (pharmacy distribution), organic/eco products, pet food. Romania is an EU member state (and full Schengen member since 1 January 2025); suppliers from the EU benefit from free movement of goods, while suppliers from outside the EU must clear customs, comply with EU sanitary and phytosanitary rules and register an EU-based responsible operator for many non-food categories. In all cases Romanian-language labelling, registration with the beverage deposit-return system (RetuRO), extended producer responsibility for packaging and the national RO e-Transport and e-Invoice systems must be taken into account. Chapter 9 lists 20 importers, distributors and cash & carry operators with verified websites, switchboard numbers and general e-mail addresses, links to supplier/partner pages where available, and an assessment of whether they act as brand builders or mainly distribute established brands.
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English