Key Takeaways
- Żabka opened 100 Froo-branded stores in Romania in just 12 months.
- Expansion leverages high-frequency rollouts, local sourcing, and low capital intensity.
- Romania’s booming retail market offers Poland-style density — but at different margins.
- Żabka aims to scale Froo to 4,000 stores, mirroring its Polish model.
Żabka’s Froo Blitz: Inside One of Europe’s Fastest Retail Expansions
In a country where local grocery chains rarely move faster than real estate permits, Poland’s Żabka Froo Convenience Store has opened 100 Froo-branded stores across Romania in a single year — roughly one every three days.
The speed is not just unusual. It’s nearly unmatched in European convenience retail.
“While we’re proud of what we’ve achieved, we know this is just the beginning. We remain committed to learning, evolving, and building a long-term presence on the Romanian market,” says Anna Grabowska, EVP Żabka Polska, Managing Director Żabka International.
Grabowska’s confidence is underpinned by one of the sharpest retail playbooks in Central Europe: a compact store format, hyperlocal sourcing, and a tech-enabled agency model. Froo stores are run by agents — not franchisees — through a structure where Żabka retains ownership and operations are managed locally.
The Froo rollout began with Żabka’s acquisition of distributor DRIM Daniel Distribuţie FMCG, finalized on February 29, 2024. Froo began operating 5 stores in Bucharest by June 2024, expanded to Pitești and Constanța in March 2025, and reached 100 stores nationwide by June 2025.
Scaling the Żabka ‘Froo’ Convenience Store Model
Żabka’s agency model avoids the overhead typical of Western retail expansion. Local agents operate 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 operator upside.”
Why Romania — and Why Now
Żabka’s last foreign foray — a 2008 entry into Czechia — ended in a quiet retreat. But Romania’s 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 square meters of retail space in 2024 — still above the decade-long average — with a further 200,000 square meters in the pipeline. Mall expansions in Iași and Arad are targeting precisely the medium-sized urban markets where Froo stores have found traction.
“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 announced in October 2024, during its IPO, its goal to reach 4,000 Froo stores across Romania — matching the scale it achieved in Poland by 2016, when it surpassed 4,500 stores.
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.”
“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.”
Risks Facing Żabka ‘Froo’ Convenience Store Rollout
Rapid expansion also brings exposure. Rising labor costs could challenge margins. Recruiting local agents — essential to Żabka’s model — may become harder as the company moves into smaller, lower-density towns. And competition from large supermarkets is increasing as regional players test their own small-format 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 is betting that Romania’s urban neighborhoods — including residential areas, high-traffic zones, business districts, and dense city nodes — will opt for local, fast, and frequent.
If the Żabka ‘Froo’ Convenience Store model proves durable, it could redefine Romanian retail and convenience store density across Eastern Europe.
