How to get a product into Romanian retail
To sell in Romania you need three things: a product that is legally in order (a Romanian label, an EAN code and the registrations your category requires), a price that fits the shelf, and someone to present you to distributors and chains. You can prepare the first two yourself. The third is either your own sales team or a sales representative who sells on your behalf while you invoice and deliver.
Paperwork, before the first pitch
The label must be in Romanian. For products brought in from outside the EU, the label also names the Romanian importer or distributor. The EAN code comes from GS1; chains and marketplaces do not list products without one.
The rest depends on the category. Drinks in PET, glass or cans fall under the deposit-return system, with registration and a mark on the label. Cosmetics are notified in the EU CPNP portal. Disinfectants are biocides and need approval. Health claims on food and drinks must follow the EU claims regulation. And packaging brings reporting duties for whoever places it on the market.
Where it sells
Around 70% of consumer goods sales go through modern trade: international chains, discounters, supermarkets and hypermarkets. The rest goes through tens of thousands of independent stores, which you reach almost only through distributors.
That is why the fastest route to a first order usually runs through distributors: a good distributor reaches several thousand stores. A listing with a chain takes longer, usually two to three months, and follows each chain's listing calendar.
Send us your product and get a first market assessment within 2 working days.
Sales representative or distributor
A distributor buys the goods and resells them at its own risk. A sales representative buys nothing: it finds customers and negotiates on your behalf, and you sell, invoice and deliver directly. The relationship is an agency contract under the Romanian Civil Code, with territory and exclusivity written into the contract.
The two are not exclusive. A representative usually brings you the distributors as well, so you reach traditional trade without building a sales team in the country.
Questions we actually get
Do I need a Romanian company to sell here?+
Not as a rule: you can invoice from your own country. Some channels prefer a local importer or warehouse, which shows up when the product is assessed.
Can the Romanian label be used in Moldova?+
Often yes, because the official language is the same, but local import and labelling requirements are checked first.
What does a sales representative cost?+
With us: no monthly fee, only a commission on net sales to the customers we bring. The rate is set after we assess the product, by category and market.
Send us your product and get a first market assessment within 2 working days.