Shopping centers in Romania are emerging as key leisure destinations, surpassing many European markets in entertainment options, according to a recent analysis by Nhood. Romanian malls are increasingly catering to a broad range of recreational activities, with a notable presence of children’s play areas and arcades. These are available in 40-50% of the country’s shopping centers, while more specialized facilities like virtual reality (VR), bowling, laser tag, escape rooms, and trampoline parks are found in less than 10% of the malls surveyed.
Only 41% of Romanian malls offer multiple entertainment options, typically combining children’s play areas with arcades. In comparison to European counterparts, Romania’s malls exhibit a much higher entertainment component rate, with 79% of shopping centers incorporating leisure options. This contrasts with Germany, where only 57% of malls feature such amenities, and Italy, where the figure drops to 45%.
This divergence is largely attributed to Romanian consumer preferences, which favor spending leisure time in shopping centers. The slower adaptation in other European countries to shifting consumer behavior further highlights Romania’s leadership in this sector.
Despite these strong entertainment offerings, Romanians allocate a smaller portion of their household budgets to leisure activities compared to their European peers. Data from the National Institute of Statistics (INSSE) reveals that, in 2023, Romanians spent an average of 3.1% of their household consumption on recreation, culture, and sports—roughly 120 RON per month. This figure is significantly lower than in other European countries, where spending on leisure-related activities accounts for 5.1% in Spain, 7% in France, and 9% in Germany.
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