Retail operations at Roshen candy stores in Bucharest are drawing scrutiny over a rigid pricing system that creates significant friction during the customer checkout process.
Inefficiencies in Bulk Pricing Logic
According to local reports, the issue is centered in the bulk candy sections of Roshen’s newer locations in the Unirii area, including stores near the Patriarhiei hill and on Brătianu. While the stores are noted for their aesthetics and diverse product range, the current point-of-sale logic for loose confectionery is described as counterintuitive.
The system assigns a unique price per kilogram to every individual type of candy. Customers are unable to mix different varieties in a single bag. To ensure accurate billing, each type of candy must be placed in a separate bag and weighed individually at the scale.
Pricing Variance and Operational Impact
The lack of a standardized price for bulk items forces a fragmented transaction process. For customers selecting multiple varieties, this requires weighing several bags sequentially and manually identifying each candy type at the scale to apply the correct rate.
Observed pricing for these items varies significantly per 100 grams, with recorded rates including:
- 1.97 lei
- 2.24 lei
- 2.48 lei
- 2.60 lei
- 2.85 lei
- 2.97 lei
- 3.26 lei
User Experience and Proposed Simplification
The current implementation is viewed as an unnecessary operational hurdle. Critics suggest that the retail experience could be streamlined by adopting a simplified pricing model. By calculating a weighted average price across the bulk selection and applying a slight margin, the store could allow customers to mix products in a single bag, reducing the time and effort required for both the consumer and the staff during checkout.
