The Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024 - new opportunities

The Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024 - new opportunities. Are you a foreign producer looking to expand to the Romanian market? How to take advantage of?the opportunities on the Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024?

How to take advantage of the market and export opportunities in the Food & Beverages sector and the FMCGs market in Romania and the Region??Check out this link for more details: https://market-entry-romania.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-romanian-food-beverages-market-in.html

Are you looking to establish commercial relations with reliable importers and distributors of packed foods, beverages, gourmet or frozen foods, fish, seafood, premium wines, dairy, refrigerated foods, fresh fruit and vegetables etc. covering the Romanian market and other markets in Eastern Europe such as Bulgaria, Poland, Serbia, Hungary, The Balkans, Czechia, Slovakia etc.??

Email the FRD Center team at [email protected] and consult the details provided by FRD Center in the analysis below.

Here are some examples of what the FRD Center team can do for you:?https://www.frdcenter.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FRD-CENTER-REFERENCE-PROJECTS-IN-FOOD-BEVERAGES-AND-AGRICULTURE-2016-2024.pdf

According to the estimated data of the National Institute of Statistics consulted by the FRD Center team, the imports of food products and live animals in Romania recorded 7,312 mEUR in the first eight months of 2024, up 2.4% compared to the same period of 2023. In the first eight months of 2024, the imports of food products and live animals had a share of 8.9% in the total imports in Romania.?

Furthermore, the Romanian imports of food products and live animals recorded 10,867.8 mEUR in 2023, up 8% in comparison to 2022, based on official data from the National Institute of Statistics. Out of the total Romanian imports in 2023, the imports of food products and live animals represented 9.1%.?

What are the opportunities on the Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024??

According to the FRD Center calculations using TradeMap data, the dynamics of the Romanian imports of food products, by category, in 2023 compared to the previous year are:?

- sausages and similar products, of meat, meat offal, blood or insects, food preparations based on these products: +9.2%

- meat and edible meat offal, salted, in brine, dried or smoked, edible flours and meals of meat or meat offal: +9.8%

- preparations of meat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates or of insects: +6.5%

- yogurt, buttermilk, curdled milk and cream, kefir and other fermented or acidified milk and cream: +10%

- cheese and curd: +3.4%

- dried, salted, in brine and smoked fish: +1.6%

- sugars and sugar confectionery: +19.9%

- cocoa and cocoa preparations: +14.3%

- preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk, pastrycooks' products: +13.7%

- preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants: +15.7%

- edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers: +19.4%

- edible fruits and nuts, peel of citrus fruit or melons: +10.5%

As it results from the ZF Agrobusiness Summit 2024 organised by Ziarul Financiar newspaper in October 2024, approximately 80% of the food consumed in Romania is imported. The vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products are imported mainly from Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland or Turkey.

What are the opportunities on the Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024??

Based on official data from the National Institute of Statistics analysed by FRD Center, the retail turnover volume (consumption) of food, beverages and tobacco in Romania in 2023 was 3.6% higher as gross series than in 2022. Furthermore, the retail turnover volume of food, beverages and tobacco increased by 4.2% as gross series in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023.

According to the National Institute of Statistics, the monthly average food consumption per person in Romania in Q1 2024 is as follows:

- bread and bakery products: 7.079 kg

- meat products: 1.56 kg

- cheese and cream: 1.569 kg

- fruits: 4.572 kg

- potatoes: 3.088 kg

- vegetables and canned vegetables in fresh vegetable equivalent: 7.905 kg

- confiture, jam, compote, jellies: 0.442 kg

- chocolate, sweets, Turkish delight and other sugar confectionery: 0.235 kg

According to the FRD Center calculations using data from the National Institute of Statistics, the monthly average food consumption per person in Romania increased in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023 as follows:

- meat products: +2.3%

- cheese and cream: +2.5%

- chocolate, sweets, Turkish delight and other sugar confectionery: +11.4%

The Romanian chocolate market registered annual growths of 20 - 25 % in the last 3 - 5 years, according to Omnia Gusti, a local distributor of ingredients for the confectionary and pastry sectors. Furthermore, the consumption of artisanal chocolate doubled in the last two years in Romania, according to the organizer of the 2024 edition of Chocolate Saga Festival in Bucharest.

According to GfK Consumer Panel, the most consumed type of international cheese in Romania is gouda, with a penetration of around 17% among households.

What are the opportunities on the Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024??

The cheese speciality products, such as gorgonzola, brie, blue cheese and camembert, have a share of 2.3% of the total pre-packaged cheese market in Romania, according to RetailZoom.

The FRD Center has a considerable business network of Decision Makers in the Romanian Food and Beverages importer-distributors. Some of the most successful ones are:

Interbrands Orbico - https://www.orbico.com/ro/ - is the largest importer-distributor of FMCG and beauty products in Romania. Part of Orbico Group, the company offers complete business solutions for sales, logistics, marketing and brand management services. Its customers are large multinational retail chains, local retail units, wholesalers etc. It has around 2,200 employees and collaborates with more than 170 suppliers. Some examples of food brands in its portfolio are Lindt, Caprice Papadopoulos, Pringles, Rio Mare etc. Interbrands Orbico recorded a net turnover of 1.23 bn EUR in 2023, 17% higher compared to 2022.

For strategic business introductions to Decision Makers in the Romanian foods market, beverages market and fresh fruit and vegetables market email the FRD Center team at [email protected]

Established in 1991 by two Turkish businessmen, Marathon Distribution Group - https://marathon.com.ro/ - is a major importer-distributor of food products on the Romanian market. Its diversified range of products includes chocolate, cookies, canned food, sauces, frozen food, meat, dairy, bakery etc. The products are distributed all over the country to HoReCa, modern and traditional retail chains. Examples of imported brands in its portfolio are Callebaut, Erlenbacher, Dulcistar, Ken Foods, Marsa etc. The company has own auto fleet with over 730 auto vehicles. Marathon Distribution Group registered in 2023 a net turnover of 205 mEUR, up 19% compared to 2022. It has approximately 800 employees.

De Silva Exclusiv - https://desilva.ro/ - imports and distributes a wide range of sweets, bakery or drinks. Set up in 1992, it has over 130 employees and national coverage. Some imported brands distributed by the company are Toffifee, Haribo, Merci, Knoppers, Loacker, Corny, Ritter Sport, Maille. The firm recorded a y-o-y net turnover increase of 13% in 2023, reaching 78 mEUR. De Silva Exclusiv is a Romanian family-owned business.

Set up in 1994, Nordic Import Export Co - https://www.nordicgroup.ro/ - is a player specialised in the import and distribution of premium food and drinks, both for the retail and HoReCa sectors. Controlled by Romanian entrepreneurs, the company is part of the Nordic Group with activities in the fields of import and distribution, logistics, restaurants and online sale. Nordic imports and distributes desserts, chocolate, canned vegetables and fruits, bakery, dairy, meat, fish, seafood, sauces, frozen food etc. It has over 180 brands in its portfolio, out of which Labeyrie, Soignon, Heinz, Costa d’Oro, Jolly Colombani, St. Dalfour or ICAM. In 2023, Nordic Import Export Co recorded a net turnover of 62 mEUR, 10% higher compared to 2022. With approximately 240 employees, the company is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2005 certified.

What are the opportunities on the Romanian Food & Beverages Market in 2024??

Founded in 1992, Parmafood Group Distribution - https://www.parmafood.ro/ - is a dynamic importer-distributor of food products in Romania. It distributes canned food (fruits, vegetables, fish), sauces, bakery, sweets etc. The company collaborates with over 50 international producers and some examples of brands in its portfolio are: Calvo, Mutti, Kikkoman, Tabasco, La Molisana, Al'Fez, Biffi, I Dolci di Montagna, Darbo, Citres, Develey, Santa Rosa, Ortiz etc. With a team of around 80 employees, the firm recorded a net turnover of 48 mEUR in 2023, 15% higher than in 2022. Parmafood Group Distribution was acquired in 2024 by Aquila Part Prod, specialised in integrated distribution and logistics services for the consumer goods market and controlled by Romanian entrepreneurs.

Similarly, based on the considerable expertise and reputation in the market of F&B, FRD Center enjoys good relations at Decision Maker level, Category Manager, Purchasing Manager with local and international retail chains in Romania and other markets in Emerging Europe.

Are you looking for B2B introductions to relevant importers and distributors operating on the Romanian food and drinks or the FMCG products market? On the other markets in Emerging Europe such as Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Hungary, Czechia etc.?? Email the FRD Center at [email protected]