The traditional increase in sales in the «month of gifts» has moderated in recent years, both in Romania and in the rest of the European Union, but the local market remains among the leaders in Europe when it comes to buying food in the last month of the year, a Colliers analysis shows. Eurostat data for the period 2015 – 2024 show that Romania records an average increase of over 20% in sales of non-food goods in December compared to the average of the previous 11 months of the year – a considerable pace, but lower than in countries such as the Czech Republic, Cyprus or Portugal, where advances exceed 35 – 40%. The differences are not only explained by the economic context, but especially by consumption habits: in some markets, end-of-year shopping has a much stronger tradition, while in Romania seasonality manifests itself more discreetly. On the other hand, in terms of food, Romania is among the leaders in the Union from the perspective of additional purchases that people make in the last month of the year. «In recent years, we see that the seasonality of December sales has generally reduced across the region, including Romania. High inflation has eroded real purchasing power, and this is reflected in both the moderation of the year-end effect in terms of both turnover and volume of goods sold. Consumers remain active, but are more cautious, more price-conscious and more promotion-oriented. Post-pandemic behavioral changes accentuate this trend, and the data for 2025 indicate the most moderate «December effect» in the last decade. On average, in the last 10 years, the month of December brought an increase in the volume of goods bought compared to the previous 11 months, a solid dynamic, even if it does not reach the peaks of the most seasonal markets. The local model shows a more even distribution of consumption throughout the year, which gives retailers a greater stability, but also a peak in December more nuanced compared to hyper-seasonal markets», explains Silviu Pop, ECE & Romania Research Director at Colliers. At the European level, the Colliers director states that December sales do not follow a clear economic pattern. The differences between countries are not related to incomes or the size of the economy, but rather to traditions and consumption habits. Ireland remains the country with the strongest «December effect» in the EU, with an average increase of over 70% in non-food sales compared to the rest of the year. The Czech Republic, Cyprus and Portugal also exceed 35-40%, and Denmark, Hungary, France and Italy and Greece are in the 30-35% range. Romania is in the second part of the ranking, with a 20% advance – similar to Sweden or Belgium – while countries such as Germany, the Netherlands or Slovenia have smaller increases, below 20%, according to Eurostat data analyzed by Colliers. Regarding food, the Eurostat data show, however, another reality: Romania is very high in the ranking: 5th place in the European Union, with an average increase of almost 22% that the month of December brought in the period 2015-2024 compared to the average sales of the previous 11 months. Before Romania there are also Luxembourg, France, Portugal and Hungary. Otherwise, Eurostat data shows a clear contrast between the pre-pandemic period and recent years: in most European markets, the «December effect» has moderated after 2020. The decrease is visible not only in the total value of sales, but also in the volumes actually sold, a sign that people are buying less or more selectively. High inflation, the decrease in real purchasing power and the orientation towards planned purchases and promotions are fundamentally changing consumer behavior.
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