News about Retail & HoReCa

Danish jewelry brand Pandora reported first quarter results that exceeded analysts’ expectations despite weakening demand in its key market, North America.

French luxury conglomerate LVMH is exploring the sale of a number of fashion houses, cosmetics brands and alcohol assets amid slowing demand for luxury goods.

Italian fashion house Prada ended the first quarter of 2026 with revenue growth of 3% in comparable exchange rates, despite mixed performance in key markets. Total group revenue amounted to 1.4 billion euros (about $1.64 billion), which was in line with Visible Alpha analysts’ expectations.

The counterfeiting market continues to expand and is becoming faster and more flexible. This is the conclusion reached by Entrupy, a company specializing in AI-authenticated goods, in its annual State of the Fake 2026 report. According to the study, in 2025, 8.1% of all verified products were found to be counterfeit.

Limited trade markups have not been applied to a line of goods (13 commodity items) included in the List of socially important goods (or essential goods) since April 30. The reason is that the Regulation on the order of formation of retail prices for essential goods has become invalid.

In 2026, interest in flat nectarines is noticeably increasing both on the part of buyers and growers. According to breeding companies, the flat nectarine is rapidly moving out of the niche segment: in European market players, it already accounts for about 10% of sales of planting material. The growing interest is not only due to the unusual shape of the fruit, but also due to the improved taste, productivity and commercial attractiveness of new varieties.

EuroCucina – Technology For the Kitchen, one of the world’s main platforms for kitchen design and home appliances, was held in Milan. The Moldovan team of the Bomba chain was invited to the exhibition by Beko, with which the chain works as an official partner. Maxim Ghilca, Commercial Director of Bomba, spoke about where the market is heading and what retailers can expect in the coming years.

Sphera Franchise Group opened the first Taco Bell restaurant in the Republic of Moldova.

The growing convergence between fashion and Formula One continues to gain momentum, with brands increasingly using the Miami race weekend as a cultural platform. As the sport increases its influence on the style and entertainment industry, fashion brands are turning the Miami event into a platform to communicate with consumers through localized stories and limited edition collections.

Despite the strong wind on Sunday, April 26, the traditional half-marathon took place in Chisinau, bringing together thousands of participants from all over the country and abroad.

Gucci is bringing back one of the most recognizable looks of the 90s – the silk shirt that became a symbol of the era of minimalism with a touch of glamour. The new version of the piece has already appeared in the brand’s current lineup and is priced at around £1,100, confirming that archival hits can still work for the modern market.

Adidas Factory Store opens in Port Mall in Chisinau: this is an event not only for sports retail, but also for the entire retail industry of the country. This is not just the launch of a new outlet, but the introduction of a fundamentally different retail model, which has not been used in Moldova before.

Global apparel brands are faced with the fact that they now have to pay more for the customer. This is a direct factor that is changing the marketing budgets of companies around the world.

Moldova introduces new rules for labeling food products: now merchants are obliged to indicate the country of origin of goods. The corresponding amendments to the Law on Internal Trade were adopted by the Parliament this week.

In the travel industry, artificial intelligence is emerging as a key channel, jeopardizing the position of online travel agencies (OTAs).

Mars announced the appointment of Alkis Geralis as Mars Wrigley market director for Romania and Moldova, effective April 1. In this role, Geralis will be responsible for the development of some of Mars Wrigley’s most popular brands, including Snickers, Twix, M&M’s and Orbit.

Italian antitrust authority Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) has opened an investigation against Booking.com, questioning one of the platform’s key mechanisms – the hotel ranking system.

A Japanese doctor, who came to Moldova four years ago to help Ukrainian refugees, abruptly changed the profile of his activity and now sells onigiri in our country. This is a Japanese dish made of fresh rice molded in the form of a triangle or a ball. Usually onigiri is filled with filling and wrapped in a sheet of dried nori seaweed.

France’s restaurant industry is facing a dramatic shift in demand: traditional establishments are closing and the market is shifting towards delivery and low-cost formats.

Radu Savopol, the founder of the Romanian chain of 5 to go coffee shops operating in Moldova, launches a new business – a chain of establishments called Atelier Matcha.