Lululemon announced plans to expand into six new markets in 2026 through franchise partnerships. The athletic apparel brand will launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania through a partnership with Arion Retail Group, as well as in India through Tata CLiQ.
Primark continues its expansion in Romania and confirms the opening of four new stores in 2026. The international fashion retailer announced new stores in Sibiu and Bacău, joining previously announced openings in Iași and Craiova.
The traditional December shopping surge has weakened across Europe, with Romania recording a 20% increase in non-food sales during the holiday month compared to the previous 11 months, according to Colliers analysis of Eurostat data from 2015-2024.
DP World has expanded its operations in Romania with two new mobile harbour cranes and a 119,000 sqm multimodal terminal platform at Constanța South Container Terminal.
Romania's Competition Council has fined three companies a total of RON 135.2 million (€26.6 million) for anti-competitive agreements in the heated tobacco products market.
Holiday spending is decreasing by about 10% this year compared to 2024, as three-quarters of consumers (77%, up from 69% in 2024) expect higher prices on holiday goods.
Engie Romania has doubled its renewable energy capacity to approximately 500 MW following the acquisition of a 253.1 MW wind farm in Ialomița county from Greenvolt Power.
In the East European region, the aggregated construction outlook for next year has remained positive, only the trajectory has changed a little, according to the winter report of the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA).
Metinvest has completed the acquisition of ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Iași, located in eastern Romania.
Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marius Barbu as COO, effective from April 2026, to succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate. He has also been nominated as a Board Director and will stand for election at the next AGM in May 2026.
State-owned lender CEC Bank has obtained a €25 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance public sector projects that contribute to sustainable economic development, particularly in regions most affected by climate transition.
Andrei Ianculescu, Head of Project & Development Services at Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, talked to Property Forum about the expansion of design and ESG advisory services, the industrial and logistics sector's growth post-Schengen, and the importance of independent project management for tenant fit-outs. Ianculescu also emphasised the potential in secondary cities and the increasing relevance of aligning projects with sustainability standards.
Local developer ELI Parks has announced the launch of the second phase of the ELI Park Iași project, adding another 20,000 sqm of industrial and logistics spaces to the existing 20,000 sqm.
Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has completed the sale of the Zenith Conference & Spa hotel in Mamaia to the owners of Steaua de Mare Hotels & Resorts from Eforie Nord. The property was previously controlled by the RC2 investment fund and Antares Management, owned by Dumitru Becșenescu.
Socar Petroleum has opened its first petrol station in Baia Mare, bringing its total network to 88 stations across 30 counties in Romania.
Colliers has published a new report focusing on CEE, examining economic and real estate trends across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The study shows that 2025 brought moderate economic recovery, easing inflation and rising focus on sustainability, while real estate markets were shaped by modernization, limited new office supply, strong logistics demand and retail park expansion.
DN Agrar Group, one of Romania's leading integrated agrifood companies and Europe's largest dairy milk producer, has started operations at its second automated manure composting facility at the Lacto Agrar farm.
TotalEnergies Marketing Romania has announced the appointment of Franck Bagouet as Managing Director of TotalEnergies Marketing Romania and Managing Director Automotive Southeast Europe Hub TotalEnergies Marketing.
Hubix, a Romanian real estate management and investment company, announces a €20 million investment in the development of the Abito Pipera residential project, a mixed-use complex designed for modern urban living and community.
Romania faces an economic maturity test, with the key question being whether it can transform current vulnerabilities into reforms and progress.
Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.
Energy company Electrica informs investors and the capital market that it has obtained the technical grid connection permits (ATR) for 17 new battery energy storage projects (BESS), with a total capacity of approximately 700 MWh.
The European Retail Banking Radar, Kearney's latest study now in its 18th edition, shows that Europe is entering a period of normalisation following the conditions of 2023–2025. For Romania, the challenge extends beyond the normalisation of interest rates.
Romania's national electricity transmission network operator, Transelectrica, has halted scheduled maintenance shutdowns to ensure the grid operates at maximum capacity during an ongoing extreme heatwave. The preventive measures aim to mitigate operational risks associated with severe weather conditions.
Digi Spain has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Spanish stock exchanges, aiming to raise approximately €150 million.