The development of the Băcănia Rod chain with SmartCash RMS, in full pandemic

The company New Xperience, the owner of the Băcănia Rod brand in the capital, recorded a turnover of 2.35 million lei last year, according to data published by the Ministry of Finance.

The network initially had one store, and in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, it will open a second unit in the Tineretului area of the capital.

Băcănia Rod’s shops sell Romanian and international artisan specialties and delicacies: meat specialties, cheeses, homemade cakes, artisan breads, selection of premium wines and soft drinks.

The chain of independent banks in Bucharest uses the solution SmartCash RMS for individual stores SmartCash Shop and SmartCash POS, in Professional version. The Shop Professional variant is aimed at shops with complex management, which can be supplied both internally and from third parties. Rod Shops are shops with complex sales, loyalty and operation by a cashier. The cashiering area is equipped with state-of-the-art touchscreen POS, all hardware and software infrastructure is provided by Magister.

An atypical space in the landscape of the docks with its minimalist design

When you say Romanian bacania, you often think of a crowded space, with everything, possibly with some traditional Romanian motifs to certify the authenticity of the products. This is not the case with Bacaniei Rod where the space, although small, has all the products on display, perfectly lined up, as in a pantry, airy and unitized, in a friendly atmosphere.

A portfolio of over 800 products from local artisan producers

Romanian entrepreneurs Laura and Liviu Rogojan have opened Băcănia Rod in 2014 in Amzei Square in Bucharest. The need stemmed from a personal preoccupation with healthy food.

From 2014 to 2018, Rod’s Bar operated in Amzei Square, and Laura and Liviu tried to grow in several directions. The entrepreneurs have scaled the business from distribution to Horeca and organization of events or corporate gifts. After 5 years of trying, they decided to focus only on the end customer and moved to Titan, betting on the idea of democratizing access to their products. And things went very well from the very first month.

“Now everyone has grocery stores. We called it ‘grocery’ to associate with the old idea of a grocery with quality products. The word ROD is the common noun, it means nothing but the fruit of the earth. Because we have 100% natural products and the producers are verified by us. We didn’t do our business from the computer, searching for products on the internet. In 2014, before we opened, we left our kids at home, got in the car and drove around the country for almost a year to see who and how they produce. And now we go and visit them once, twice a year, including to the wineries where we pick up wines “, says Liviu Rogojan for republica.ro.

There are currently over 800 products in the Rod ‘s grocery portfolio, most of which come from local artisan producers: cold meats, cheeses, breads, wines and soft drinks. Confectionery and pastry products are made in the company’s own laboratory.
The company also produces under the Bacania Rod umbrella, canned fruit juices, salads, jams, pickles and syrups. These are processed in a center located in Dâmbovița county. The center uses raw materials supplied by locals.

Among the canned food products of the production unit in Valcea, which now has an annual capacity of 25,000 units, the best sellers are eggplant zacusca, marjoram and green walnut jam, and in the meat products category, turkey, beef and venison specialties are the most appreciated, while among the cheese products, goat’s milk and cow’s milk are the most sought after. Every month, on average, 700 customers cross the Bacaniei Rod ‘s threshold, with an average shopping basket value of 40 lei. Besides them, Bacaniei Rod’s owners have partnerships with several hotels and restaurants in Bucharest, which generate 25% of their turnover. The bacaniei’s offer also includes a selection of Romanian wines from Prahova, Valcea, Mehedinti, Constanta, Timis, a list that will be extended in the future to other parts of the country.

Bacania Rod also sells international products from Greece or Italy, as well as vegan products.

Investment in automation for absolute control over Bacania Rod, in the midst of a pandemic

In 2020, despite the pandemic, they decided to invest over €100,000 to develop the business and open new stores. With the idea of becoming more accessible, the two Romanian entrepreneurs, opened individual stores in other neighborhoods. Thus, in November 2020, they opened a location in the Tineretului neighborhood, and then, in 2021, one on Ion Mihalache Boulevard and another on Mihai Bravu Road.

“The courage to invest in the pandemic was given to us by the math, and we said there was no way we couldn’t make it work. But paper or Excel can take anything, and now we’ve found it’s harder. But we’re pushing on,” says Liviu, who believes that resilience and determination are the main attributes of an entrepreneur.
Opening and developing a grocery chain comes with many challenges. Identifying a space and finding the right employees are among them, but the biggest challenge, Liviu believes, is promotion and getting customers into the stores “Liviu Rogojan told republica.ro.

The future plans of the two entrepreneurs involve diversifying the range of recipes and products, as well as expanding the business nationally, and why not even abroad, given that Bacania Rod is already frequented by Romanians living abroad or by parents who buy to send canned food to their children abroad, as well as by tourists.

In the immediate future, Bacania Rod’s owners will focus on consolidating the business so that all four stores reach the same level, as well as on growing the online component.