After Easter: What consumer habits tell us about tradition, convenience and price in Romanian retail – Starcom Study

Easter 2025 may have passed, but the signals Romanian consumers sent are worth holding onto. Their behavior reflects a blend of deep-rooted tradition, strong family values, and a growing reliance on convenience – all shaped by increasing price sensitivity, according to the Starcom Romania study conducted before Easter.

For retailers, these insights go beyond seasonal relevance. They offer a valuable lens into how emotion, behavior, and purchase decisions intersect – at the shelf, in the cart, and across every touchpoint.

Meaning vs. behavior: a quiet shift

When asked what Easter means to them, Romanians are nearly evenly split:

• 46% cite spiritual significance, like religious rituals and the symbol of holy light;
• 44% highlight family time as their primary association with the holiday.

But when we look at actual behavior, the balance tilts. Most Romanians are busy preparing traditional meals, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying nature or moments of relaxation. Activities like attending church or engaging in spiritual reflection, while still present, take a quieter role.

The Easter cart: tradition, but smarter

83% of Romanians take charge of preparing the Easter meal, with hypermarkets, supermarkets, and local markets being the top destinations for ingredients. Local products remain popular – 84% have bought from local producers at least once, and 83% planned to do so again this year. 

The motivation? Perceived quality and the desire to support the local economy. However, price is a growing barrier, especially in the current economic climate. The implication for retailers:

• local product visibility on shelves isn’t enough – value cues must be clear;
• shoppers are willing to pay a bit more for authenticity, but not without justification;
• promotions that blend emotional resonance with functional benefit (e.g. “tradition meets savings”) can win both hearts and baskets.

Gifting & inspiration: a moment for merchandising

Gift-giving is alive and well at Easter, with Romanians buying mostly from large stores and seeking inspiration from social media. This opens a window for curated gift sections, in-store displays that mimic social inspiration boards, and digital content tied directly to shelf or e-commerce promotions.

Retail takeaways: shelf experience matters

The Easter Study points to several retail must-knows for the rest of the season:

• price is under scrutiny, but shoppers still want meaningful choices; promotions should feel relevant, not generic;
• inspiration sources are digital, but fulfillment is still largely in-store; retailers should bridge that gap with better online-offline integration;
• shelf experience counts – Easter remains a deeply emotional holiday, and shoppers respond to thoughtful, culturally resonant cues. From signage to product placement, everything speaks.

Final thought

Easter is no longer just about tradition – it’s about how tradition adapts to reality. For retailers, success won’t come from louder campaigns, but from listening to what shoppers are really saying through their actions:

Show me value. Give me relevance. And don’t make me choose between meaning and convenience.

The Easter 2025 study offers a comprehensive view of Romanian consumers, from shopping behaviors and brand choices to lifestyle-driven preferences and value systems.
Comparative insights reveal evolving spending patterns, while demographic segmentation (age, gender, income, etc.) allows for deep-dive analyses based on both perception and behavior. Further granularity is available upon request (consumer@starcomww.com), including customizable segment combinations.

Methodology

The study was conducted by the media agency Starcom Romania, between April 03 – 08, 2025, on a sample of 800 respondents, using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviews) method. The study is part of the HumanGraph Experience series, a research tool for analyzing and understanding human behavior in different contexts, focused on collecting and visualizing relevant data.

Photo header @Unsplash