A proposal to shut large supermarkets early at the weekend has been voted down by Romanians who overwhelmingly want shops to stay open until late, a survey shows.
Only 3 out of 10 people agreed with a proposal by small retailers to close supermarkets and hypermarkets early at the weekend, a study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research concluded.
Supermarkets
Many supermarkets stay open until 9 or 10pm at the weekends, a stark difference to the communist era when supermarkets didn’t exist, and food was scarce and rationed. The situation was so dire that consumers would line up during the night to make sure they could buy basics such as milk or meat when a store opened in the morning.
Big foreign supermarket chains, most with French or German-owned, moved to Romania after it joined the European Union in 2007, and are open much later than shops in Western Europe. However, the long hours are not popular with staff and small retailers which say it harms their business.
Weekend closing
The study was taken from 22-27 March after the proposal was floated last month. It found that:
- 90% of Romanians living in urban areas say they shop in supermarkets and hypermarkets.
- 85% of Romanians say they have heard of the small traders’ proposal to early weekend closing .
- If the big stores closed on weekends, 64% of Romanians would shop during the week, 28% would go to a local store and 8% would order online.
Physical stores continue to be the favorite place to shop, with 90% of people buying their groceries from supermarkets and hypermarkets.
Some 90% say they shop in supermarkets and hypermarkets with another 51% shopping at farmers’ markets for fresh, local produce and 42% at local stores.
Just 14% of Romanians regularly shop online, and it’s mainly those with high incomes of over RON 8,000 (20%), the study showed.
Weekends
Of Romanians who are used to shopping in the supermarket or hypermarket, 33% of them rather opt for weekdays, and 31% prefer to make purchases on weekends.
„It is remarkable to note that, despite the increasing popularity of online shopping, supermarkets and hypermarkets remain the main choices for shopping for products for home use. The study also revealed that Romanians like flexibility when it comes to shopping, and prefer to shop when they need it. This need for flexibility and adaptability can be a response to the fast pace of life and the diverse needs of consumers,” said Marius Luican, CEO of Reveal Marketing Research.
respondents are undecided about the initiative, with a significantly higher share among young people aged 18-24 (40%).
What would Romanians do if supermarkets and hypermarkets were closed on weekends?
If supermarkets and hypermarkets closed early at weekends, most Romanians say they would adapt and would buy what they needed during the week (64%), especially those over 55 years (70%).
E-commerce
Some 28% say they would go to local store and 8% would order online, especially young people between 25-35 years old (13%), who are often more familiar with using the internet and e-commerce platforms.
Some 1003 adults in urban areas and access to the internet were surveyed for the poll.
