News about Retail & HoReCa
The investment tender for the sale of the Zarea Hotel has been extended by two months at the initiative of Prime Minister Vasile Tofan. He believes that the privatization of such a property should not take place in the middle of the summer season.
The Coca-Cola Company has appointed Victoria Shapron as CEO for Ukraine and Moldova. Shapron announced her appointment on LinkedIn on August 12. She previously worked at AB InBev, Visa, Red Bull, Motorola, and BAT.
Consumers, retailers, and relevant government agencies will be able to interact within a single digital space. The National Food Safety Agency has announced the launch of the “Consumer Protection” module on the eDemocrație government platform.
The total solar eclipse is turning European hotels into a hotbed of price hikes: in some popular destinations, hotel room rates have more than doubled compared to last year. In Spain, where hundreds of thousands of tourists are preparing to arrive to witness this rare celestial event, hotels are already seeing a sharp rise in demand, while authorities are simultaneously preparing for record traffic on the roads and an increased risk of wildfires.
Over the past six years, beer consumption in Moldova has increased by 22%.
The authorities promise to enact legislation to protect consumer rights in the field of e-commerce.
Wine Enthusiast magazine has compiled a list of winery restaurants around the world. The list includes 57 wineries, 22 of which are located in Europe. Moldova is also on the list.
After submitting a notification of commercial activities, a business entity will be able to begin operating without first receiving a response from the local authority. The amendment will be incorporated into the Domestic Trade Act.
Foreigners accounted for 58% of all new jobs created in Spain in the year ending in June 2026. Their number in the social security system rose by 350,200 people—nearly 100,000 more than the number of new workers with Spanish citizenship.
Adrian Rezmeriță, a native of Moldova, has opened numerous Polonez stores in Ireland that sell goods from Eastern Europe, including Romania. The local Moldovan-Romanian diaspora is among the stores’ primary target customers.
Marshmallows from the “Bucuria” confectionery factory completely disappeared from retail stores in July and early August. The Chisinau-based factory’s flagship product is also unavailable at wholesale outlets, but this does not mean that production has been discontinued.
Diageo, the world’s largest producer of spirits, has for the first time abandoned its target of a 5–7% annual increase in sales. Instead, the company is preparing for a prolonged period of weak demand and is launching a $1 billion cost-cutting program.
The deal by Moldova’s largest grocery retailer to acquire the Merci chain has come under antitrust scrutiny. The Competition Council has launched an in-depth investigation into Moldretail Group’s acquisition of 100% of the equity in Honest Company, which operates the Merci stores. The investigation will last up to 90 business days and is intended to determine whether the acquisition will lead to excessive concentration in the food retail market.
eBay expects third-quarter revenue to exceed analysts’ forecasts. The online marketplace anticipates further sales growth in categories with high buyer engagement—ranging from luxury goods and collectibles to auto parts and refurbished electronics.
Moldova will introduce VAT and a 12-leu fee on international packages. This proposal has been included in the 2027 budget and tax policy draft, the outline of which was presented by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan during a press conference.
The Ukrainian marketplace Rozetka reported its largest financial losses in the company’s history following damage to its warehouse infrastructure near Kyiv.
The American corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G) has agreed to acquire the dietary supplement manufacturer Thorne for $3.8 billion. The deal will allow the owner of brands such as Ariel, Gillette, Oral-B, and Pampers to significantly strengthen its position in the rapidly growing market for health and wellness products.
The Moldovan company AGG Group is investing more than $5.6 million in the acquisition and modernization of a poultry farm in the Republic of Moldova.
The largest distribution center of the Ukrainian marketplace Rozetka, located in Brovary in the Kyiv region, was destroyed following a nighttime attack. The company’s founder, Irina Cecetkina, stated that the warehouse was completely burned down and cannot be restored.
The heat is changing travel preferences in Spain: the north of the country is becoming the top destination for summer vacations. According to data from the Rentalia platform, by August, tourists had booked nearly 90% of short-term rental properties along the Spanish coast.
