Reveal Marketing Research study conducted for Brand Management – indoor adv: Amid inflation, expenses and time spent at the mall are on the rise in 2025

Reveal Market Resources, study no. 188

Bucharest, March 2025. The latest study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research for Brand Management highlights significant changes in Romanians’ behavior regarding visits to malls in 2025, compared to the results of the similar study conducted in the previous year.

• In 2025, Romanians spend 13% more money on a visit to the mall, respectively 370 lei. The increase does not necessarily reflect higher consumption, but the coverage of inflation.
• Those in the Adults & Family segment (36-45 years old) spend the largest amounts: 389 lei per visit to the mall.
• The average duration of a visit to the mall increased by 46%, reaching 3 hours and 28 minutes, while the frequency of visits decreased slightly.
• The main reasons for visiting malls: shopping in stores (87%), shopping in the hypermarket (52%) and dining in the food court area (48%).

Significant increase in Romanians’ expenses when they go to the mall: the average amount reaches 370 lei per visit

Compared to 2024, the average amount spent by Romanians on a visit to the mall has increased considerably, reaching 370 lei, compared to 327 lei last year.  The Adults & Family segment  (36-45 years old) records the highest expenses per visit, with an average of 389 lei, while the Pretentious segment  (26-35 years old) spends the lowest amount, of 324 lei.

Time spent at the mall increased, reaching an average of 3 hours and 28 minutes per visit, but the frequency of weekly visits decreased slightly

If last year the average time spent in the mall was 142 minutes, in 2025 it increased by 46%, reaching 208 minutes, including the time spent at hypermarkets, cinemas, restaurants and cafes. The Gen X segment (+46 years old) spends the most time in malls, with an average of 272 minutes per visit, while the Pretentious segment (26-35 years old) has the shortest visits, with an average of 143 minutes.

Although Romanians spend more time and spend more at the mall, the frequency of weekly visits has decreased,  with 55% saying they go to the mall at least once a week, compared to 59% in 2024.

Gen Z representatives (18-26 years old) – 66%, as well as men (58% compared to 52% in the case of women), remain the most frequent weekly visitors to malls.

“In January 2025, the annual inflation rate reached the threshold of 5%, a factor that explains both the increase in the budget allocated by Romanians for a visit to the mall, and the prudence in managing expenses, reflected by a longer duration of time spent in these locations. However, even in the context of financial concerns, the fascination for malls remains strongly rooted in the behavior of Romanians, whether for shopping, fast service, food & beverage experiences or moments of relaxation.”  said Marius Luican, General Manager of Reveal Marketing Research.

Main reasons for visiting malls: shopping in stores (87%), hypermarket shopping (52%) and food court/restaurant area (48%)

Shopping in stores in malls are the most frequent activities of Romanians (87%), followed by visits to the hypermarket (52%), dining in the food court area (48%), going to the cinema (36%) and socializing at a café (35%).

The most purchased product categories in malls are women’s clothing (65%) and men’s clothing (57%), food products from hypermarkets (60%), footwear and bags (56%) and cosmetics and perfumes (52%).

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Brand Management provides brands and marketers with a clear and complete picture of the number of visits to malls. This annual market study compiles a wide range of data, from the frequency of visits in a specific time frame, to their duration, the reasons why shoppers go to the mall, and more.

Methodology: The market study was conducted on behalf of Brand Management by Reveal Marketing Research and was conducted online between February 15 and 20, 2025, on a nationally representative urban and peri-urban sample of 803 respondents. The margin of error is +/-3.5% at a 95% confidence level.

About Brand Management

Brand Management was founded in 2004 and is the first company in Romania to offer indoor advertising services nationwide. With 20 years of experience in the implementation of advertising campaigns, in shopping and business centers, Brand Management has developed indoor advertising operations both in Romania and in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, for companies in areas such as technology and telecommunications, fashion and jewelry, financial-banking, FMCG, managing dedicated indoor advertising budgets of over 145 million lei including 2024.

Brand Management is present in over 150 locations in Romania – Malls, Hypermarkets and Business Centers – in the top 20 most important cities. The company ensures the exposure of indoor advertising campaigns in front of over 130 million visits per month, counted and communicated by locations. Approximately 85% of the company’s customers are in the company’s portfolio since the first years of activity.

About Reveal Marketing Research

Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and brand positioning. Qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and other European countries for 16 years.

Reveal Market Resources, study no. 188: Reveal Market Resources is a data hub that includes free studies published in order to support the marketing and communication market in Romania.