According to the Financial Seasons Barometer conducted by CFA Romania Association with UniCredit Bank support, 63% of Romanians shop more than usual during Christmas and New Year, rising to 80% among Generation Z.
Based on the study's findings, CFA Romania Association launched a holiday guide, offering practical recommendations from certified Chartered Financial Analysts to help manage festive shopping in a balanced way.
Winter holidays stand out as the most significant shopping period for Romanians, surpassing other seasonal occasions like Black Friday, Easter or vacations. Generation Z proves most receptive to commercial stimuli: 64% say they are influenced by personalised offers at least sometimes. This trend decreases among older generations: 57% of Millennials and 49% of Generation X report the same.
Most Romanians adopt a cautious approach to time-limited offers: 46% compare prices or seek alternatives, while 36% add products to cart and decide later. Only 8% buy immediately fearing they'll miss the offer, behaviour more common among Generation Z.
"Holidays can be an opportunity to practice smart financial decisions: from saving and responsible spending planning to investing in experiences and values that bring real satisfaction," said Florentina Almăjanu, General Director of CFA Romania Association. "Even facing offers that appear everywhere during this period, prioritising gifts that create memories or comparing prices can transform the festive season into a balanced process."
The study was conducted between 3–6 November 2025 using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) methodology, on a sample of 1,130 respondents from Generations Z, Millennials, and X, predominantly from urban areas.
