Żabka’s Froo Blitz: How Poland’s Retail Giant Opened 100 Stores in Romania in One Year

Key Takeaways

• Żabka’s Froo Convenience Store brand reached 100 outlets in Romania in just 12 months.
• Expansion leverages high-frequency franchising, local sourcing, and low capital intensity.
• Romania’s booming Romanian retail market offers Poland-style density — but at different margins.
• Żabka’s Froo aims to scale to 4,000 stores, mirroring its Polish model in Eastern Europe.

In a country where local grocery chains rarely move faster than real estate permits, Poland’s Żabka’s Froo Convenience Store has opened 100 Froo-branded stores across Romania in a single year — roughly one every three days, a pace unmatched among convenience stores in the region.

The speed is not just unusual. It’s nearly unmatched in European convenience stores.

“This is just the beginning,” said Anna Grabowska, vice president for international operations at Żabka Group. “We’re laying the foundation for a permanent presence in Romania — not testing the waters.”

Grabowska’s confidence is underpinned by one of the sharpest retail playbooks in Central Europe: a dense franchise expansion strategy, hyperlocal sourcing, and tech‑enabled operations that allow the company to scale with minimal capital. The Froo rollout, which began in early 2024 after Żabka acquired distributor DRIM Daniel Distribuţie FMCG, has since spread to Bucharest, Pitești, Constanța and Ilfov County IntelliNews.

Żabka’s Froo Scaling a System, Not Just a Store

Żabka’s approach avoids the heavy upfront costs typical of Western retail expansion. Instead, it executes franchise expansion by recruiting local franchisees to run neighborhood stores outfitted with Froo signage and backend supply. Over 80% of products are sourced from Romanian producers. Some units are new builds; others are conversions from existing mom‑and‑pop operations.

The company says it has sold more than one million hot dogs and 600,000 coffees in its Froo Bistro format since launch — proof that consumers are adopting the chain‘s offer of convenience meals and grab‑and‑go dining.

“The entire model is designed for fast replication,” said a Warsaw‑based retail analyst who tracks Żabka for institutional investors. “Low footprint, quick capex, and local franchisee upside.”

Why Romania – and Why Now for Żabka’s Froo

Żabka’s last foreign foray — a 2008 entry into Czechia — ended in a quiet retreat. But Romania’s Romanian retail environment is different. Annual consumption now exceeds 89% of the EU average, non‑food retail rose 14% last year, and cities like Pitești and Iași are emerging as retail hubs.

A report by Colliers Romania noted the delivery of 167,000 sqm of retail space in 2024 — still above the decade‑long average — with a further 200,000 sqm in the pipeline, supporting the growth of convenience stores in medium-sized urban markets to match Żabka’s Eastern Europe density.

“Romania is roughly where Poland was 8–10 years ago in terms of convenience retail,” said a partner at a Bucharest-based retail advisory firm. “There’s room to run.”

Żabka agrees. The group now projects 4,000 Froo locations across Romania, matching the scale it achieved in Poland by 2017. Group Chief Strategy Officer Tomasz Blicharski said the company aims to open over 1,000 stores annually across its footprint.

“A major milestone in 2024 was our entry into Romania,” Blicharski told investors in April. “Our ambition is to double end‑consumer sales by 2028.”

Table: Żabka Froo Romania Rollout Timeline

Risks: Saturation, Staffing, and Margins

Rapid expansion also brings exposure. Rising labor costs could challenge margins. The strength of Żabka’s franchise expansion pipeline may slow as the chain moves into smaller, lower‑density towns. And competition from large supermarkets is increasing as regional players test their own small‑format convenience stores.

Żabka’s IPO last year, one of the largest in Warsaw Stock Exchange history, raised PLN 6.45 billion (€1.5 billion) — but fell short of its target valuation. The float allowed private equity backers like CVC Capital Partners and EBRD to exit. The pressure is now on management to prove that scale can deliver profits across geographies.

For now, Żabka’s Froo is betting that Romania’s urban neighborhoods — like Poland’s before them — will opt for local, fast, and frequent.

If the ŻŻabka’s Froo Convenience Store model proves durable, it could redefine Romanian retail and convenience store density across Eastern Europe.