Poor Moldovans keep TV sales high

Summer is coming. The Romanians from abroad are coming back home, even though for a few days. Accustomed with the moderately cold temperature in their offices, they seem surprised of the hot weather outside. The first impulse is to buy an air conditioner for those at home. Once in shops, the Romanian expats add a TV set or a fridge to their feelings for those at home. Does it sound poetic? It is no such thing. This market is worth more than one million euros. “The summer holidays, as well as the winter holidays, the days around Christmas, to be precise, are the months when we register the highest sales to the Romanians coming from abroad who want to improve the comfort of their families living in Romania,” says Dan Ostahie, Altex retail chain general manager. He added 10% of the company’s sales during summer are those to such people. “Years ago they would bring back either a TV, a vacuum cleaner or even a washing machine for their families. Now they only come with the necessary cash to buy such things, because the products can be bought here as well,” Ostahie said. This is most obvious in the shops located in the poorest areas of the country, such as Botosani and Suceava (Moldova), as explained by Domo retail chain general manager Lorand Szarvadi. ZF