Exploring the urban geography of online grocery shopping in Romania: trends and transformations

Posted in Volume 19, Issue 2, 2025 Tagged with , , , , , ,

Abstract: The rapid rise of digital platforms is reshaping how urban residents access and consume food, marking a significant shift from traditional grocery shopping to online retail experiences. In Romania, this transformation is particularly evident in the Bucharest Region, where online grocery services are projected to generate over $599 million in revenue by the end of 2025. This study examines how digital grocery platforms mediate consumer experiences, shape food choices, and engage with sustainability in an increasingly platformized food landscape. Drawing on a content analysis of 380 user-generated social media reviews, our research uncovers two key themes. First, ‘shopping with an app’ presents delivery experiences, consumer trust, loyalty, and peer recommendations. Second, ‘monetary values and quality-of-benefits’ describe food preferences that are guided by external product cues such as price, brand, and packaging. This research contributes to the understanding of consumer behaviour in a digital marketplace, specifically how user-generated content and the app experience influence purchasing decisions and perceptions of value. Beyond these patterns, the study also examines how sustainability is integrated into the digital grocery experience, highlighting practices such as eco-friendly packaging and local sourcing. By tracing the shift from physical carts to digital clicks, this research offers insights into the evolving relationship between technology, consumption, and sustainability in urban Romania, contributing to broader debates on digital foodscapes and responsible consumption.

Full text .pdf
Permalink (doi) http://dx.doi.org/10.5719/hgeo.2025.192.4

Mariana Nae, Liliana Dumitrache*
Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, Romania
* Corresponding author
Email: liliana.dumitrache@unibuc.ro

References
Alfnes, F., Ardebili, A. T., & Viciunaite, V. (2024). Exploring consumer segments for online food provisioning services: Online supermarkets vs. alternative food networks. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 47, 278–288.
Allen, J., Piecyk, M., Cherrett, T., Juhari, M. N., McLeod, F., Piotrowska, M., Bates, O., Bektas, T., Cheliotis, K., Friday, A., & Wise, S. (2021). Understanding the transport and CO2 impacts of on-demand meal deliveries: A London case study. Cities, 108, 102973.
Ash, J., Kitchen, R., & Leszczynski, A. (2018). Digital turn, digital geographies? Progress in Human Geography, 42(1), 25–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132516664800.
Berg, J., & Henriksson, M. (2020). In search of the ‘good life’: understanding online grocery shopping and everyday mobility as social practices. Journal of Transport Geography, 83, 102633.
Bissell, D. (2020). Affective platform urbanism: Changing habits of digital on-demand consumption. Geoforum, 115, 102–110.
Bjørgen, A., Bjerkan, K. Y., & Hjelkrem, O. A. (2021). E-groceries: Sustainable last mile distribution in city planning. Research in Transportation Economics, 87, 100805.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2014). What can ‘thematic analysis’ offer health and well-being researchers?. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 9(1), 26152.
Caprotti, F., Chang, I. I.-C. C., & Joss, S. (2022). Beyond the smart city: A typology of platform urbanism. Urban Transformations, 4(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-022-00033-9.
Chu, J., Chintagunta, P., & Cebollada, J. (2008). Research note—a comparison of within-household price sensitivity across online and offline channels. Marketing Science, 27(2), 283–299.
Cocola-Gant, A., & Gago, A. (2021). Airbnb, buy-to-let investment and tourism-driven displacement: A case study in Lisbon. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 53(7), 1671–1688.
Datta, A., & Odendaal, N. (2019). Smart cities and the banality of power. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 37(3), 509–527.
Dolega, L., & Lord, A. (2020). Exploring the geography of retail success and decline: a case study of the Liverpool City Region. Cities, 96, 102456.
Dumitrache, L., & Nae, M. (2023). Romanian food on international plate: exploring communication, recipes, and virtual affect in culinary blogs. Berichte Geographie und Landeskunde, 97(1), 54–72. https://doi.org/10.25162/bgl-2023-0003.
Elms, J., de Kervenoael, R., & Hallsworth, A. (2016). Internet or store? An ethnographic study of consumers’ internet and store-based grocery shopping practices. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 32, 234–243.
Gobbo, A. D., Forno, F., & Magnani, N. (2022). Making “good food” more practicable? The reconfiguration of alternative food provisioning in the online world. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 29, 862–871.
Graham, M. (2020). Regulate, replicate, and resist – The conjunctural geographies of platform urbanism. Urban Geography, 41(9), 1548–1553. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2020.1717028.
Halkier, B., & Jensen, I. (2011). Methodological challenges in using practice theory in consumption research. Examples from a study on handling nutritional contestation of food production. Journal of Consumer Culture, 11(1), 101–123.
Hardaker, S., & Appel, A. (2025). (Retail) platform legitimation through municipal partnerships? Digital Geography and Society, 8, 100111.
Hübner, A. H., Kuhn, H., & Wollenburg, J. (2016). Last mile fulfilment and distribution in omni-channel grocery retailing: A strategic planning framework. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 44(7), 800–824.
Iwan, S., Nürnberg, M., Jedliński, M., & Kijewska, K. (2021). Efficiency of light electric vehicles in last-mile deliveries – Szczecin case study. Sustainable Cities and Society, 74, 103215.
Jamal, S., Li, C., Tiznado-Aitken, I., & Farber, S. (2025). Exploring equity implications of online grocery, online restaurant delivery and e-shopping service usage in a suburban context. Journal of Transport Geography, 129, 104398.
Jesnes, K. (2024). Shifting gears: how platform companies maintain power in app-based food delivery in Norway. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 29(4), 725–737.
Kickert, C., Vom Hofe, R., Haas, T., Zhang, W., & Mahato, B. (2020). Spatial dynamics of long-term urban retail decline in three transatlantic cities. Cities, 107, 102918.
Kitchen, R. (2013). Big data and human geography: Opportunities, challenges and risks. Dialogues in Human Geography, 3(3), 262–267.
Kozinets, R. V. (2002). The field behind the screen: using netnography for marketing research in online communities. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), 61–72.
Kühne, O., & Dumitrache, L. (2025). Post-socialist settlement developments—the example of Bucharest. In O. Kühne & L. Dumitrache (Eds.), Landscape – Tourism – Food (pp. 25–56). Springer VS, Cham.
Lagorio, A., & Pinto, R. (2021). Food and grocery retail logistics issues: A systematic literature review. Research in Transportation Economics, 87, 100841.
Lewis, T. (2018). Digital food: from paddock to platform. Communication Research and Practice, 4(3), 212–228.
Li, C., Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2020). Review of online food delivery platforms and their impacts on sustainability. Sustainability, 12(14), 5528.
Liu, C. (2024). Follow the digital: methodological thoughts on doing everyday geographies in a digital world. Digital Geography and Society, 6, 100079.
Luque-Ayala, A., & Marvin, S. (2015). Developing a critical understanding of smart urbanism? Urban Studies, 52(12), 2105–2116.
Monaoarfa, T. A., Sumarwan, U., Suroso, A. I., & Wulandari, R. (2024). Uncover the trends, gaps, and main topics on online grocery shopping: bibliometric analysis. Heliyon, 10(2), e02587.
Munteanu, A. R. (2015). Reviewing the performance of organic e-shops in Romania. Proceedings of the 9th International Management Conference “Management and Innovation for Competitive Advantage”, Bucharest, Romania.
Nae, M., & Turnock, D. (2011). The new Bucharest: Two decades of restructuring. Cities, 28(2), 206–219.
Oncini, F., Bozzini, E., Forno, F., & Magnani, N. (2020). Towards food platforms? An analysis of online food provisioning services in Italy. Geoforum, 114, 172–180.
Onete, C. B., Teodorescu, I., & Vasile, V. (2016). Considerations Regarding the Analysis of the Digital Consumer in Romania. Amfiteatru Economic, 18(43), 654–662.
Online Grocery Industry in Romania. (2017–2029). Online Grocery Industry in Romania 2017–2029.
Palade, A. I. (2024). Piața de e-grocery, pe drumul spre stabilizare [The e-grocery market, on the road to stabilization]. Revista Progresiv. https://revistaprogresiv.ro/analize/tech/piata-de-e-grocery-pe-drumul-spre-stabilizare/.
Palgan, Y.-V., Mont, O., & Sulkaloski, S. (2021). Governing the sharing economy: Towards a comprehensive analytical framework of municipal governance. Cities, 108, 102994.
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). Sage.
Pollio, A. (2021). Uber, airports, and labour at the infrastructural interfaces of platform urbanism. Geoforum, 118, 47–55.
Sadowski, J. (2020). Who owns the future city? Phases of technological urbanism and shifts in sovereignty. Urban Studies, 57(11), 2269–2284. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098020913427.
Shetty, A., Qin, J., Poolla, K., & Varaiya, P. (2022). The value of pooling in last-mile delivery. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 531–538. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 10.1109/CDC51059.2022.9992742.
Shim, S., Eastlick, M. A., Lotz, S., & Warrington, P. (2001). An online pre-purchase intention model: the role of intention to search. Journal of Retailing, 77(3), 397–416.
Similar Web Tools. (2025). Similarweb: AI-Powered Digital Data Intelligence Solutions. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from Similarweb: AI-Powered Digital Data Intelligence Solutions.
Sinclair, S., & Rockwell, G. (2016). Voyant tools. http://voyant-tools.org/.
Sinemus, K., Zielke, S., & Dobbelstein, T. (2025). Improving consumer satisfaction through shopping app features: A Kano-based approach. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 82, 103759.
Singh, R., & Rosengren, S. (2020). Why do online grocery shoppers switch? An empirical investigation of drivers of switching in online grocery. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 101962.
Song, G., Zhang, H., Duan, H., & Xu, M. (2018). Packaging waste from food delivery in China’s mega cities. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 130, 226–227.
Spangler, I. (2020). Hidden value in the platform’s Platform: Airbnb, displacement, and the un-homing spatialities of emotional labour. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 45(3), 575–588.
Stanciu, S. (2014). Could online groceries be an alternative to Romanian food retail? SEA Practical Application of Science, 2(3), 441–446.
Stanciu, S., Vochin, A. O., Sarbu, M.-A., & Bratoveanu, D. B. (2019). Food retail in Romania. market overview. New Trends in Sustainable Business and Consumption, 21(13), 778–794.
Statista. (2025). Grocery Delivery Market Forecast. Grocery Delivery – Romania. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from Statista Market Forecast.
Stehlin, J., Hodson, M., & Mcmeekin, A. (2020). Platform mobilities and the production of urban space: Toward a typology of platformization trajectories. Environment & Planning A: Economy and Space, 52(2), 312–330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X19896801.
Talamini, G., Li, W., & Li, X. (2022). From brick-and-mortar to location-less restaurant: The spatial fixing of on-demand food delivery platformization. Cities, 128, 103820.
Tandon, A., Kaur, P., Bhatt, Y., Mäntymäki, M., & Dhir, A. (2021). Why do people purchase from food delivery apps? A consumer value perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102667.
Törnberg, P., & Söderström, O. (2025). Comparative platform urbanism: Cities in a world of platforms. Digital Geography and Society, 8, 100119.
Tudisco, V., Ekren, Y. B., & Aktas, E. (2025). Sustainable e-grocery home delivery: An optimization model considering on-demand vehicles. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 201, 110874.
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2018). Romania. Retail Food Sector. https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/romania-retail-food-sector-2018.
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2024). Romania. Retail Food Sector. https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/romania-retail-food-sector-2021.
Warde, A. (2005). Consumption and Theories of Practice. Journal of Consumer Culture, 5(2), 131–153.
Weltevreden, J. W. J. (2024). European E-commerce Report 2024. Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences & Ecommerce Europe.

Related Posts