Survey: Only 20pct of Romanians shop above average for Easter

Only two in ten Romanians say they do more shopping at Easter than usual, while 68% set a budget for seasonal purchases, and about 75% feel anxiety due to financial worries, according to the findings of a survey conducted by the CFA Romania Association with support from UniCredit Bank.With Easter approaching, Romanians draw up shopping lists, whether it's gifts for loved ones, food products or for the house. At the same time, people are also making impulse purchases, but they resist this temptation more compared to the winter holiday season or the Black Friday sales period, according to the Financial Seasons Barometer.Only 20% of Romanians say that they do more shopping on Easter or holidays than usual, as against 63% who have this behaviour during the winter holidays, and 39% - on Black Friday.While 68% of Romanians set a clear budget for seasonal shopping, almost as many admit that they have exceeded the amount allocated to these occasions in the last year, according to the findings of the Financial Seasons Barometer. At the same time, impulse buying is a situation that about a quarter of Romanians often or every time face during festive periods.When asked what they would like to learn to do better to feel financially independent, more than half of the respondents said they would like to be able to recognise a real discount and know how to avoid spontaneous purchases.Another recent study draws attention to the level of financial stress that Romanians feel. According to a survey conducted in February by Reveal Marketing Research, on a commission from XTB Romania, about 75% of Romanians say that they face anxiety and feel that their mental state is affected by financial worries, while 85% have problems with sleeping for the same reason.The main source of financial stress is rising prices, followed by unexpected expenses, job security and debt.The increase in the price of essential products is a stress factor, especially for people over 55 . Women, young people aged 25 to 34 and respondents in the 55+ category are the most worried about unplanned spending. Fears about work especially affect Romanians in the 45-55 age group, and debts are a source of stress especially for people aged 35-44.Given the context, designing a set of spending rules can be an effective solution to deal with the impulse to buy more than necessary, as well as to avoid an additional financial stress factor during the Easter period.Defining a realistic budget, postponing tempting purchases that do not appear on the shopping list, checking the price history, monitoring expenses in real time and establishing a special fund for unforeseen situations are some of the practices that can prevent budget imbalance during periods of heavy consumption."Although many Romanians set aside a budget for the holidays, almost as many end up exceeding it. That does not indicate a lack of control, but the difficulty of managing the pressure of the moment, from rising prices to social expectations. In the case of Easter, where consumption behaviour is more moderate than at other time, there is a real opportunity for more balanced financial decisions. The difference is not the income, but the discipline in planning and the ability to separate the real needs from the momentary impulses," according to said Florentina Almajanu, general manager of the CFA Romania Association.The Financial Seasons Barometer - Study was carried out between November 3-6, 2025 using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing methodology, on a sample of 1,130 respondents from generations Z, Millennials and X, mainly from urban areas.The study was conducted between November 3-6, 2025 using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing methodology, on a sample of 1,130 respondents from generations Z, Millennials and X, predominantly from urban areas.The study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research was conducted in February 2026, on a sample of 1,006 respondents in Romania.The CFA Romania Association is an organisation of investment professionals in Romania, holders of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) title, a qualification administered by the CFA Institute (USA). The CFA Romania Association is one of the over 160 member companies of the CFA Institute with a mission to promote the interests of investment specialists and to maintain high standards of integrity and professional excellence. Currently, the CFA Romania Association has over 250 members, all chartered financial analysts (CFA).