Soft drinks performance shaped by affordability pressures and shifting lifestyle preferences
Soft drinks in Romania experienced a mixed performance in 2025 as inflationary pressure, VAT increases and broader austerity measures continued to impact household budgets. Despite this challenging economic backdrop, off-trade volume sales edged upwards overall, supported by comparatively resilient categories such as bottled water, juice and sports drinks. Carbonates, by contrast, declined as consumers increasingly reduced discretionary purchases and prioritised beverages perceived as natural, functional or better aligned with wellbeing goals. The excise applied to sugary drinks further discouraged consumption of high-sugar beverages and reinforced a pivot towards “lighter”, more natural propositions. Retailers responded to diminished purchasing power with intensified promotional activity, wider private label assortments and larger pack formats which deliver stronger value-for-money. On the supply side, brand owners continued to stimulate demand through innovation in flavours, formulations and pack formats, and by expanding functional credentials across categories including water, juice and energy drinks.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Soft Drinks industry in Romania with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
- Bottled Water
- Carbonates
- Concentrates
- Juice
- RTD Coffee
- RTD Tea
- Energy Drinks
- Sports Drinks
- Asian Speciality Drinks
If you're in the Soft Drinks industry in Romania, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Soft Drinks in Romania report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Soft Drinks in Romania?
- To what extent are health considerations impacting consumption of Soft Drinks in Romania?
- How are changing social attitudes and legislation (eg sugar tax) reshaping demand and consumption?
- How are changing demographics (for example, an ageing or predominantly young population) determining consumption of Soft Drinks in Romania?
- Which are the leading brands in Soft Drinks in Romania?
- What potential exists for multinational or domestic soft drinks companies to expand in Romania?
- How are products distributed in Soft Drinks in Romania?
- How is the rise of e-commerce changing the retail and competitive landscape?
- How have home seclusion and social distancing measures following COVID-19 impacted sales of Soft Drinks?
- How are sustainability issues, such as environmentally-friendly packaging, legislation on recyclability, or the amount of plastic in bottles, impacting the soft drinks industry?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Soft Drinks in Romania
Soft drinks performance shaped by affordability pressures and shifting lifestyle preferences
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Health-aligned beverages outperform as consumers reassess value and functionality
Deposit-Return System reshapes packaging dynamics and encourages operational efficiencies
Soft drinks demand set to rise gradually despite economic constraints
E-commerce acceleration driven by convenience, automation and omnichannel expansion
Technological investment to strengthen domestic production and supply chain resilience
Coca-Cola HBC Romania maintains leadership through scale, visibility and operational investment
Emerging beverage brands gain momentum as they diversify portfolios and leverage lifestyle trends
Hypermarkets consolidate leadership through scale, assortment and value-led strategies
E-commerce emerges as the fastest-growing channel as omnichannel players scale logistics
FOODSERVICE VS RETAIL SPLIT
Fountain sales in Romania
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
Bottled Water in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Bottled water strengthens its position as health concerns, climate pressures and sustainability habits reshape demand
Bottled water sees continued growth as safety perceptions, wellness trends and extreme weather amplify consumer reliance on packaged hydration
Functional water emerges as a key growth engine as consumers embrace added-value hydration
Category growth set to continue as natural resources, climate pressures and shifting consumption habits sustain strong bottled water demand
Technological advancement to accelerate as producers invest in automation, capacity expansion and efficiency upgrades
Sustainability and changing consumption norms to influence bottled water choices across retail and foodservice
Romaqua Group consolidates leadership through brand strength, heritage and widespread market presence
OSHEE leads dynamic performance as multifunctional hydration gains traction
Small local grocers retain leadership, supported by coverage advantages and habitual purchasing patterns
E-commerce continues to build momentum as logistics efficiencies and consumer convenience fuel adoption
Carbonates in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Carbonates struggle as price inflation, sugar taxation and health-driven substitution reshape demand
Health perceptions, sugar taxation and value concerns accelerate the decline of traditional carbonates
Tonic water and mixers gain momentum as cocktail culture and premium drinking rituals expand
Carbonates set to continue declining as consumers pivot towards healthier and more natural soft drinks
Sustainability, packaging innovation and manufacturing modernisation reshape future market dynamics
Health concerns prompt functional repositioning and experimentation with reduced sugar and prebiotic formulations
Coca-Cola HBC Romania reinforces leadership through innovation, localisation and experiential branding
Merlins Beverages accelerates growth as Pop Cola positions itself as a local, natural and ethical alternative
Small local grocers and modern grocery retailers maintain strong carbonates presence through accessibility and assortment breadth
E-commerce gains momentum as consumers seek convenience, wide assortments and competitive pricing
Concentrates in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Affordability concerns and shifting consumption habits shape a modest but stabilising category performance
Economic pressures reinforce the relevance of concentrates but category perception still limits broader adoption
Powder concentrates outperform due to specialised sports formats and rising fitness engagement
Laurul SA strengthens leadership through heritage positioning and portfolio expansion into cocktail-centric syrups
Decathlon SA continues to outpace competitors through strong demand for sports powders and expanding nationwide presence
Hypermarkets retain dominance due to assortment breadth, competitive pricing and private label expansion
E-commerce accelerates as consumers embrace convenience, locker networks and flexible delivery options
Category set for slight growth as sports powders expand and natural syrups gain traction
Modernisation of production and logistics to improve efficiency as e-commerce gains further importance
Health and wellness trends to shape premiumisation and encourage bio and natural formulations
Concentrates Conversions
Juice in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Juice benefits from health-driven substitution, value strategies and innovation despite economic headwinds
Health positioning and aggressive discounting underpin growth in a strained economic climate
Not-from-concentrate juices gain momentum as consumers increasingly favour natural and functional options
Juice set to expand as health and wellness trends strengthen and sugar taxation reshapes category dynamics
The competitive landscape will intensify as local and digital-first players expand through innovation and agile distribution
Sustainability and eco-friendly manufacturing will shape future product and operational strategies
Tymbark-Maspex Romania strengthens its leadership through innovation, portfolio depth and youth-oriented marketing
Rauch Romania accelerates growth through strong value positioning and expanding category presence
Hypermarkets retain category leadership through strong assortments, value formats and in-store innovation
E-commerce gains relevance as direct-to-consumer brands and omnichannel retailers strengthen their digital capabilities
RTD Coffee in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Premiumisation, coffee culture expansion and mobility-driven consumption stimulate strong category growth
Shifting consumer habits and premium expectations underpin strong uptake of RTD coffee
Dynamic lifestyles and sustained demand for convenience to drive continued category expansion
Digitalisation, e-commerce expansion and social media engagement to shape competitive dynamics
Sustainability and ethical sourcing to guide purchasing decisions and innovation priorities
Starbucks Corp consolidates leadership through strong brand equity, premium positioning and wide distribution
5 to go Concept SRL emerges as the fastest-growing player through brand popularity and strategic diversification
Hypermarkets lead sales due to breadth of assortment, strong pricing and private label expansion
E-commerce accelerates as consumers embrace convenience, rapid delivery and diversified product portfolios
RTD Tea in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Health-driven migration from carbonates boosts RTD tea, but economic pressures temper overall momentum
Health perceptions strengthen demand, though rising prices limit the full potential of category growth
Reduced sugar RTD tea outperforms amid growing health consciousness and favourable price positioning
Rising health and ethical expectations will propel steady growth and more premium RTD tea offerings
Sustainability and automation set to reshape manufacturing, packaging and supply chains
Strong demand for natural, sustainable and eco-friendly RTD tea to shape future category innovation
Coca-Cola HBC Romania SRL consolidates leadership through strong brand equity and innovations in reduced sugar RTD tea
Hell Energy SRL expands rapidly as Xixo gains distribution and awareness in a growing market
Small local grocers lead due to convenience, impulse purchases and strong rural penetration
E-commerce accelerates as mobile shopping, rapid delivery and locker networks reshape buying behaviour
Energy Drinks in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Regulatory pressures, negative health perceptions and rising prices weigh heavily on category performance
Regulation and shifting health attitudes drive a notable decline in category demand
Reduced sugar energy drinks outperform as consumers seek lighter, more permissible functionality
Category expected to gradually recover as cocktail culture expands and adult consumption stabilises
Digital engagement, co-branding partnerships and manufacturing innovation to shape category strategies
Regulation and health perceptions to limit future potential while encouraging recipe optimisation
Hell Energy strengthens leadership through innovation, distribution depth and functional upgrades
Monster Beverage Corp remains the most dynamic player through bold marketing and strong consumer engagement
Small local grocers retain leadership due to proximity, impulse purchasing and rural coverage
E-commerce expands rapidly as consumers embrace convenience and bulk purchasing
Sports Drinks in Romania
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Active lifestyles, product diversification and health-driven choices underpin the steady growth of sports drinks
Health consciousness and an expanding sports culture drive category growth despite economic pressures
Reduced sugar sports drinks lead growth as wellness priorities reshape consumption
Sports drinks expected to continue expanding as awareness, education and product availability increase
Technological developments, digitalisation and social media engagement to shape market evolution
Sustainability and health concerns to guide product reformulation and packaging choices
Quadrant-Amroq Beverages consolidates leadership through brand recognition and extensive distribution
Decathlon strengthens its momentum as sports participation and private label credibility accelerate growth
Hypermarkets maintain leadership as consumers seek convenience, assortment and value
E-commerce grows rapidly as convenience, expanded assortment and rapid delivery attract active consumers
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Soft Drinks
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- Carbonated Natural Mineral Bottled Water
- Carbonated Spring Bottled Water
- Carbonated Purified Bottled Water
-
- Still Flavoured Bottled Water
- Sparkling Flavoured Bottled Water
- Functional Bottled Water
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- Still Natural Mineral Bottled Water
- Still Spring Bottled Water
- Still Purified Bottled Water
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- Regular Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Carbonates
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- Regular Cola Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Cola Carbonates
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- Regular Non-Cola Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Non-Cola Carbonates
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- Regular Lemonade/Lime
- Reduced Sugar Lemonade/Lime
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- Regular Tonic Water/Mixers/Other Bitters
- Reduced Sugar Tonic Water/Mixers/Other Bitters
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- Regular Orange Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Orange Carbonates
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- Regular Other Non-Cola Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Other Non-Cola Carbonates
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- Liquid Concentrates
- Powder Concentrates
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- Not from Concentrate 100% Juice
- Reconstituted 100% Juice
- Coconut and Other Plant Waters
- Juice Drinks (up to 24% Juice)
- Nectars
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- RTD Coffee
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- Carbonated RTD Tea and Kombucha
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- Regular Still RTD Tea
- Reduced Sugar Still RTD Tea
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- Regular Energy Drinks
- Reduced Sugar Energy Drinks
-
- Regular Sports Drinks
- Reduced Sugar Sports Drinks
- Asian Speciality Drinks
Soft Drinks
This is the aggregation of the following categories; Carbonates, Fruit/vegetable juice, Bottled water, Functional drinks, Concentrates, RTD tea, RTD coffee and Asian speciality drinks.
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This report originates from Passport, our Soft Drinks research and analysis database.
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