Drug sales in Romania last year rose by 18.7% in lei (19.6% in euros), to 9.6bn lei (2.28bn euros), with the best performance being registered in the first six months of the year, according to the data provided by Cegedim Romania market research firm. read more...

Romanians younger than 35 will be eligible for up to EUR10,000 as non-refundable financing to start their own micro-company, as long as they hire at least two employees and reinvest 50% of their profit every year, as per an emergency ordinance approved by the Government on Wednesday. read more...

Ecolor furniture producer, owner of a plant in Jucu, Cluj County close to Nokia manufacturing centre, wants to hire around 160 people this year, to reach a 400 headcount. read more...

The first figures reported by couriers show the market is recovering and this year's forecasts are even more upbeat. read more...

The falling consumption was felt differently in Pizza Hut restaurants. Thus, whereas Bucharest saw declining sales, in the restaurants in the rest of Romania sales are rising. read more...

International apparel retailers, especially discount ones, have expanded further over the past two years despite the shrinking shopping budgets, so that 17 of the largest store networks at European level have come to operate 175 stores in Romania, reveals a ZF survey. read more...

Hochland Romania, the biggest dairy producer domestically, believes falling consumption will further impact the domestic market in the coming months, with upbeat estimates pointing only to stagnation for the entire year. read more...

2011 started off on the wrong foot for Mobexpert and Elvila, the strongest Romanian retailers in the furniture industry, with January failing to bring the hoped-for sales. read more...

Silvarom furniture producer of Bucharest is in talks to resume exports this year, with Germany as the main destination. read more...

Băneasa shopping centre of northern Bucharest, controlled by businessman Gabriel Popoviciu, will have its first direct competitor as of autumn, as the retail park part of Colosseum project of Soşeaua Chitilei (Chitilei Road) is to be completed, with stores of Carrefour, Leroy Merlin and Altex retailers due to be opened. read more...

The domestic subsidiary of Spain's FCC Construccion constructions group, with turnover of around 110m euros last year, wants to expand its operations, adding railway or airport infrastructure works, whereas it has so far contracted only road infrastructure projects domestically. read more...

Mihuţ Crăciun, the new head of Kandia chocolate producer, one of the best-known domestic brands, has two clear objectives at the start of his term: expanding the market share from the current 20% level and boosting turnover. read more...

The Israelis at Honigman&Sons Fashion, who hold TNT stores on the Romanian market, and the Turks at Ipekyol, who hold the stores by the same name, filed for insolvency in the past few days, after Leonardo, the biggest footwear retailer in Romania, was the first fashion retailer to reorganise back in 2009. read more...

At the end of 2010, Romania had 694 modern format stores - cash&carry, discount stores, supermarkets or hypermarkets, over 100 stores more than at the start of the same year, shows a ZF survey based on information provided by MEMRB market research firm. read more...

City Mall shopping centre, the first Bucharest mall that went bankrupt, has a new manager who took the reins last week, the fourth in five years, after the legal liquidator, Casa de Insolvenţă Transilvania (Transylvania Insolvency Firm-CITR) teamed up with Coldwell Banker real estate consultancy to rent and manage the project. read more...

Violeta and Valerii Moraru, former stakeholders in Bere Azuga producer, currently owning Azuga Waters group, plan to enter the soft drinks market on short term and also start production of mineral water under the private labels of some major store networks. read more...

The so-called 'Dream shops' have turned to the online medium, in order to avoid the troubles they had to face when using brick and mortar stores. read more...

The number of insolvent Romanian companies will continue to grow this year, because the economic environment is still not “stimulating” enough, according to Coface Romania. read more...

H&M, the world's largest clothing retailer, announces that it plans to enter the Romanian market in full force this year, by opening its first Romanian stores in the retail centers. read more...

Plus stores in Bucharest are crowded, both down the aisles and at the cash tills, where at least three, four people are waiting to pay for the products in their shopping carts, after taking advantage of the "permanent discounts" announced by the company both on its website and all across the stores. read more...