News about Retail & HoReCa

Moldretail Group, which owns the grocery chains Linella, Fidesco, Fourchette, Cip Market, Bravo, Slavena, and Toto, as well as the Nuca coffee shops, intends to acquire the Merci deli chain.

Europe’s leading marketers will compete for the first time for the title of European Chief Marketing Officer (Best Marketing Director in Europe). This is a new industry award that will be presented as part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Once tensions in the Middle East have de-escalated, prices will react in different ways to the “easing of international tensions.” Speculative pressure on energy resources will disappear, while food prices will remain high due to logistical challenges, market inertia, and a protracted recovery in production.

The global footwear market is entering a phase of structural transformation. Following a period of strong growth in athletic footwear, major department stores are observing a gradual shift in consumer demand toward more versatile and elegant styles. Sneakers remain a key category, but their dominance is gradually losing momentum, giving way to more balanced consumption patterns.

L’Oréal announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI aimed at expanding the use of artificial intelligence in marketing, sales, and the development of beauty products. The agreement was unveiled in Paris during the VivaTech technology exhibition.

High-quality products, fast order delivery, expert advice during the product selection process, and competitive prices—you can find all of this on a single website: SmadShop.md, the largest online store in the Republic of Moldova. The variety of products is provided by approximately 70 suppliers from Romania, more than 50 from Poland, as well as suppliers from China, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, and 180 suppliers from the Republic of Moldova. Thus, it can be said that the SmadShop.md platform features over a thousand stores offering more than ten thousand types of products.

Rising costs, regulatory pressure from the EU, and a decline in exports are calling into question the sustainability of the business models of Shein, Temu, and AliExpress.

Greece’s tourism sector is entering the new summer season amid strong demand for vacations and continued growth in accommodation prices. According to data from the analytics firm AirDNA, demand for short-term rentals in the country has risen by 9.3% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the average rental price during the high season reached €174 per night, compared to €113 during the low season—a 55% increase, reports the Greek Reporter.

Thailand’s capital is shifting its tourism strategy. Instead of competing for mass tourism, Bangkok’s hotel market is focusing on affluent guests, premium service, and international luxury brands.

The global alcohol market is entering a phase of structural change: in the world’s largest countries, people are increasingly cutting back on alcohol consumption, and producers are having to seek new growth opportunities outside traditional markets.

The Danish restaurant Noma, which has repeatedly been named one of the best in the world, is preparing to reopen following a reputational crisis surrounding its founder and working conditions within the team.

Unilever South Central Europe, the Romanian import and distribution division of the Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever—one of the largest players in the global consumer goods market— reported a net profit of over 444 million Romanian lei in 2025, compared to 30 million lei the previous year, representing an increase of nearly 1,400%.

Moldretail Group, Moldova’s largest grocery retailer, ended 2025 with mixed results: the company’s revenue approached 15 billion lei, but net profit fell by 5.4%.

In Ukraine, despite the war, the market of individual services is rapidly growing thanks to microentrepreneurship. In the first five months of 2026, the country registered 5007 new businesses in this sphere, which is 15% more than in the same period last year, when the market was replenished with 4353 business entities.

Italian coffee group Lavazza is entering the U.S. market with its new Tablì coffee system, hoping to take a piece of the portioned coffee market, which has been controlled by Keurig and Nespresso for more than a decade.

Chisinau City Hall informs about the auction for the lease of premises owned by the municipality and not intended for residential use. It will take place on June 26, 2026 at 10:00.

Domino’s Pizza and Casey’s General Stores are becoming major competitors in the U.S. pizza market, increasing their share through delivery services.

Breweries are gearing up for a record surge in sales during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is predicted that fans could drink an additional 1 billion pints of beer.

The French consumer protection regulator has again imposed two fines totaling more than 22 million euros on Shein over violations related to product traceability, environmental information, return times and delivery conditions.

Shares of German sportswear maker Puma rose sharply on Thursday, June 4 after analysts at banking group Citi saw China as a new growth driver.