Discount retail will double its market share under the current context

Reiner Exel, general manager of MiniMax Discount store network, expects the market share of discount retailers to double by 2010, amid a migration of consumers to this type of stores. "I think discount stores will reach 8-10% of the FMCG market in Romania by 2010 at the latest, considering that incomes will stagnate next year, and consumers will have to save - for instance, they will no longer go shopping by car and will turn in greater numbers to convenience stores with a discount policy," anticipates Exel. On the Romanian market, the segment of food discount stores is currently estimated to account for around 5-6% of the FMCG market, a market worth 23-25 billion euros, according to the latest available data. In cities with less than 150,000 inhabitants, which are the main targets of these retailers, discount food retail gained 3% in 2008, reaching a 10% market share in the first half, according to a survey conducted by market research company GfK.