Central and Eastern Europe's convenience retail sector is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation. Shifting consumer habits, emerging technologies, and new revenue models are reshaping how retailers serve shoppers across the region. This article explores how these trends are redefining the role of convenience across the region.

Changing consumer habits — Speed, frequency, and smaller baskets

Across Central and Eastern Europe, the convenience channel has emerged as the second-fastest-growing retail format, with sales increasing 9.2% between 2020 and 2025, only surpassed by discounters at 13.8%. Growth has been fuelled by sustained inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and ongoing pressure on household budgets, which are reshaping shopping behaviour. Consumers are shifting away from the "weekly hypermarket run" model toward smaller, more frequent shopping trips.

For suppliers, the shift toward small‑basket shopping requires a rethink of packaging, ranging and promotional strategies, with greater emphasis on portion‑controlled formats and repeat‑purchase mechanics rather than bulk offers. Retailers, meanwhile, need to optimise layouts and checkout flows to support quick missions, while expanding high‑margin, high‑frequency categories such as food‑to‑go, coffee and protein snacks.

AI and robotics: CEE convenience retailers test the waters

Convenience retailers are increasingly experimenting with AI and robotics to address labour shortages and rising operational costs. In Poland, Żabka has expanded its autonomous Nano stores, including a new test location at Wrocław Airport, where computer vision tracks purchases and automatically charges customers. Meanwhile in Lithuania, IKI is testing autonomous cleaning robots in selected Vilnius stores, using SLAM navigation to operate, recharge and refill water tanks with minimal human intervention, freeing up staff to focus more on customers.

These early deployments provide valuable learnings for the wider convenience sector. Autonomous formats suggest a possible path to 24/7 operation in locations where staffing is difficult, such as airports or transit hubs, while robotics trials show how automation can support staff rather than replace them. By closely monitoring these developments, retailers can learn from early movers without taking on the full risk of first-mover investment.

Food to go excellence

Poland’s leading convenience retailer, Żabka, demonstrates best‑in‑class execution in hot food‑to‑go. Affordable price point and scalable foodservice counters have been central to its domestic success and are a fundamental pillar of its expansion into Romania under the FROO banner. Consistency, speed and value sit at the heart of the proposition, enabling Żabka to lead the market on hot food delivery across dense, high‑frequency urban networks.

This momentum is reflected more broadly across the region. Hot food sales at convenience stores at forecourts saw growth in Central and Eastern Europe in 2025. For example, MOL Group’s convenience store brand Fresh Corner sold over 66 million cups of coffee and 45 million hot dogs (Source: Mol Group). As dwell times increase, consumers are more likely to purchase simple hot meals or snacks while waiting for their vehicles to charge.

Rising energy costs and the rollout of EV infrastructure are reinforcing hot food as a growth opportunity at forecourt convenience stores. Retailers and suppliers must reassess operations to maximise food‑to‑go sales without adding cost pressure, through smarter labour planning around peak charging periods and tighter control of food preparation and waste. Operators that balance speed, quality and margin discipline will be best placed to convert longer visits into incremental sales.

Quick commerce growing in presence

Quick commerce continues to expand its footprint across Central and Eastern Europe, with convenience retailers increasingly central to delivery strategies. Rather than building standalone dark stores, many players are partnering with tech platforms to monetise existing neighbourhood networks and high‑frequency missions. Studenac Market’s partnership with Instaleap in Croatia highlights how regional operators are using third‑party technology to scale rapid delivery efficiently, while similar momentum is visible in Romania, where quick commerce grocery penetration is forecast to grow steadily. For convenience retailers, q‑commerce strengthens relevance, extends catchment areas and supports top‑up and distress missions, particularly in urban locations where speed and proximity are critical.

Development of retail media across the region

Retail media is fast becoming a strategic growth engine across the region, particularly within convenience. Romanian suppliers and retailers increasingly view retail media as essential: for brands, it is now central to marketing budgets; for retailers, it creates incremental revenue while improving shopper journeys and mission clarity. Convenience networks, with dense store estates in high‑footfall locations, are well positioned despite smaller formats. Żabka’s fully omnichannel retail media proposition in Poland demonstrates category leadership, integrating in‑store, digital and app‑based touchpoints to elevate both brand visibility and the shopper experience.

Implications for the convenience channel

Convenience retailers across CEE are responding to changing consumer behaviour with a mix of operational efficiency, technology adoption, and service expansion. The rise of smaller, more frequent baskets is driving investment in AI, robotics, and quick commerce partnerships, while retail media opens new revenue opportunities.  

Together, these trends suggest that CEE's convenience sector is adapting global innovations to local conditions, developing a model that is pragmatic, partnership-driven, and increasingly its own.