Consumers Goods
& retail
Consumers Goods
& retail
Consumer goods brands operate in some of the most competitive environments in the market. Consumers make decisions quickly, alternatives are abundant, and even small changes in packaging, pricing, communication, or product experience can influence performance at scale.
Success is rarely driven by a single factor. It is shaped by the combined effect of product quality, brand perception, shopper behavior, pricing, distribution, and communication.
At Signal & Noise, we help FMCG brands understand how consumers choose, evaluate, experience, and remember products throughout the consumer journey.
By combining quantitative research, qualitative insight, and behavioral neuroscience, we generate evidence that supports better commercial decisions, before they reach the market.
The FMCG challenge
FMCG brands compete in environments where consumers are exposed to countless alternatives, frequent promotions, growing private-label competition, and an increasing number of purchase channels. At the same time, innovation cycles are accelerating, media fragmentation continues to grow, and brand loyalty is often weaker than organizations assume.
This creates important business questions:
- Why do consumers choose one product over another?
- What drives trial, repeat purchase, and brand preference?
- Which innovations have genuine growth potential?
- How important are packaging, pricing, and promotions in driving choice?
- What motivates consumers to switch brands and what keeps them loyal?
- Which communication messages influence consideration and purchase?
- Where are the biggest opportunities for growth within the category?
In highly competitive categories, small consumer insights can create meaningful commercial advantages.
How Signal & Noise approaches advertising
Trends Shaping FMCG
The Romanian FMCG market is navigating a complex intersection of economic pressure, shifting consumer values, and evolving retail formats. Understanding how these forces shape consumer behavior is increasingly essential for brands competing in this environment.
Private Label Growth
Retailer brands continue to gain share across FMCG categories, increasing pressure on brand differentiation, value perception, and consumer loyalty. In Romania, private label reached a 40% market share in 2025, growing at a pace that outstrips even Western European markets.
Research question: What drives consumers to choose private-label products over established brands, and where does brand equity still create a genuine advantage?
Value-Conscious Consumers
Inflation and economic uncertainty continue to reshape how consumers evaluate price, value, and purchase priority. In Romania, 45% of households are barely covering basic expenses in 2026, and promotional purchases now account for 23% of FMCG household spend.
Research question: How are consumers redefining value and what drives purchase decisions beyond price alone?
Omnichannel Shopping
Consumers increasingly move between physical stores, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and social commerce environments before making final decisions. The shopper journey is no longer linear, and the moments that matter most are shifting.
Research question: How does channel interaction influence consideration, purchase, and loyalty?
Health, Wellness & Conscious Consumption
Consumers increasingly consider health, ingredients, sustainability, and personal values when evaluating FMCG products. In Romania, only one in three consumers is willing to pay a premium for sustainable goods, reflecting a gap between stated values and actual purchasing behavior that is wider than in most Western European markets.
Research question: Which health and sustainability claims genuinely influence purchase behavior and which remain largely aspirational?
Contact us at the Consulting WP office nearest to you or submit a business inquiry online.
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✓ 15+ years in research
✓ Qual, Quant & Neuroscience
✓ In-Lab & Remote capabilities
✓ ESOMAR-aligned standards
How Signal & Noise supports FMCG brands
Product Innovation
Evaluate new products, concepts, formulations, and ideas before launch.
Packaging Optimization
Understand how packaging influences attention, perception, and purchase intent.
Brand Growth
Measure awareness, positioning, differentiation, and consumer perception.
Shopper Understanding
Explore how consumers evaluate alternatives and make purchase decisions.
Pricing & Promotions
Understand value perception, price sensitivity, and promotional effectiveness.
360° Brand Benchmark
Quant, qual, neuroscience, and desk research - one integrated brand view.
Our core Methodologies
Quantitative Market Research
Structured, scalable research designed to measure attitudes, behaviors, preferences, and market dynamics with statistical confidence. From large-scale surveys to segmentation, tracking, pricing, and concept testing, quantitative research helps transform consumer data into clear, evidence-based business decisions.
Qualitative Market Research
Exploratory, human-centered research that goes beyond surface-level responses to uncover motivations, perceptions, emotions, and unmet needs. Through in-depth conversations, observation, and immersive methodologies, qualitative research reveals the context and meaning behind consumer behavior.
Neuromarketing research
Advanced behavioral and neurophysiological methodologies that capture attention, emotion, engagement, and implicit response beyond conscious self-report. By adding a deeper layer of understanding, neuroscience research reveals what truly drives consumer behavior, not just what people choose to say about it.
24%
of FMCG purchases in Romania are now made on promotion.
As consumers become increasingly value-conscious, promotions play a growing role in purchase decisions. The challenge is understanding what consumers truly value when the discount disappears.
Source: YouGov
NOT SURE WHERE TO START?
Are your consumers choosing your brand or simply choosing the best deal?
Tell us what you’re trying to understand and we’ll help you identify the right research approach.