Business Review

UK companies have invested EUR 4.5 billion in Romania over the years with British entities being among the most long-standing foreign direct investors in the country. Telecommunications, banking, insurance and manufacturing are the fields where UK firms have a strong presence in Romania. As the local economy tries to find ways to reinvent its image beyond that of cheap labor costs and a large internal market, new industries should gain momentum.

Simona Bazavan

This year the local fashion retail market will post minimal growth, with full recovery not expected sooner than 2012. But as more discerning shoppers set new trends on the market by spending less while at the same time paying more and more attention to value for money, innovation has become this season’s must-have among fashion retailers.

Simona Bazavan

The prices of wheat, corn, barley, cotton, soybeans, sugar and cocoa have been sprouting like the proverbial beanstalk over the past year, a situation market specialists describe as unprecedented. And although the volatility of these commodities was similar worldwide, Romanians pay much more for their daily bread than other Europeans. Why?

Simona Bazavan, Dana Verdes

Coffee is one of the last products that consumers cross off their shopping lists when they start to tighten their belts but, even so, Romanians drank fewer cups of the stuff last year. With the overall downward FMCG trend, a surge in the international price of coffee and an unfavorable domestic fiscal regime, local players are expecting another year of small beans in 2011. In addition to percolating more promotions, they will have to brew up new ways to make the market wake up and smell the coffee.

Simona Bazavan

Tourism, agriculture and infrastructure – these are the three industries generally acknowledged as being Romania’s most attractive investment destinations and the potential generators of considerable economic growth in the years to come. The International Investment Forum, organized by Business Review and Beyond Transylvania last week, took a closer look, bringing together representatives of the business community and the authorities to discuss both some of the issues they are facing locally and some projects that are in the pipeline this year.

Simona Bazavan

Fueled by the increasing presence of airlines, especially that of low-cost carriers, as well as by the authorities’ commitment to implement Schengen standards, Romanian airports have undergone various modernization projects over the past few years. In addition to this, promises of new commercial airports are pouring forth from politicians once again now that elections are looming. All this should make airport compounds and properties close to airports an attractive alternative investment.

Simona Bazavan

Business Review has celebrated the best business practices of 2010 at a gala event which brought top figures from the business community to the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel.

Staff

If the diversity of its retail industry is proof of a market’s maturity, then the local food retail industry makes for a rather dull, monotonous and clearly underdeveloped one. Less affected by the crisis than other retail segments, the food industry is preparing for a new development phase. Expansion plans are still in the cards, but different times call for different investment strategies and a more flexible and innovative approach to the market.

Simona Bazavan

Despite the crisis affecting both the Greek and Romanian economies, Greek investors are keeping the local market on their map, said company representatives, speaking at the third edition of the Greek Business Forum organized by Business Review last week.

Simona Bazavan

2010 was a tough year for both Romanian and Greek economies. Against this backdrop, the country remains the fifth biggest source of FDI to Romania with companies from the Balkan nation having a strong presence in banking and telecommunications. In addition to this, in the first nine months of the year 158 new entities with Greek shareholding were registered in Romania, bringing the total number of local Greek-owned firms to 4,919.

Simona Bazavan