Network Moldova
Qualitative market research agency in Moldova
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Moldova, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and home visits, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Moldova has 2.99 million people, 43.9 per cent of them in urban areas, and 80.2 per cent use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Romanian is the official language and Russian is widely spoken, so each session is held in the language the participant chooses. Many households have a member working abroad, and the study asks who earns, who decides and where the brand was first seen.
AT A GLANCE
Moldova at a glance for researchers
- Population. 2.99 million people, median age 38.6, 43.9 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Chișinău, the capital, holds about a quarter of the residents. Bălți leads the north, Cahul the south and Comrat is the centre of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. More than half the population lives in villages and small towns. Chișinău is two hours by road from the Romanian border at Ungheni.
- Languages. Romanian for most sessions, Russian for many participants in Chișinău, Bălți and Gagauzia, where Gagauz is also spoken. The screener asks which language each person prefers. Our moderators live in Moldova and work in Romanian and in Russian.
- Internet and mobile. 2.40 million people use the internet, 80.2 per cent of the population, and there are 4.12 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Fixed lines are fast, with a median download speed of 158.05 Mbps against 54.05 Mbps on mobile (same source), so video interviews from home work well. Social media counts 1.88 million user identities, 63.0 per cent of the population.
- Where fieldwork happens. Chișinău first, then Bălți for the north and Cahul or Comrat for the south. Villages are reached from the nearest town or online. We do not run fieldwork in Transnistria.
- Data protection. Law No. 133 of 8 July 2011 on personal data protection applies. Before a session begins, each participant is told what is recorded and why, and gives their agreement.
- Timing. Orthodox Easter and the Memorial Easter a week later are family days. 27 and 31 August are national days, and the first weekend of October is the national wine festival. In summer and at Christmas, relatives who work abroad come home.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Moldova?
In Moldova, the village and the capital are two markets. Chișinău has shopping centres, delivery apps and salaries paid by card, and villages have smaller shops, markets and budgets that depend on money sent from abroad. A study in Moldova hears both.
- Romanian or Russian, by choice. Each participant chooses the language at recruitment. Groups run in one language at a time, with a native-speaking moderator, and stimulus is prepared in both when the product is sold to everyone.
- Capital and villages. More than half of Moldova lives outside the cities. Rural participants are met in the nearest town or at home, with an introduction from someone they know, and reported apart from Chișinău. Online sessions reach younger villagers, on mobile data.
- Family abroad in the budget. Many households receive money from relatives in the European Union. Interviews about appliances, phones, cars and housing ask who paid, who chose and what was brought back at the last visit. Relatives home for the holidays can be interviewed in person.
- Follow the shop. Shop-alongs cover the supermarket chains of Chișinău, the central market and village shops. We note what is bought loose, what is bought on promotion and what comes from the household's own garden or cellar.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Moldova?
- We recruit through local partners in Chișinău, Bălți and Cahul, by region, language, age and category use. The recruiter phones each participant the day before to confirm, and the quota grid is approved by you before the first call. Participants from villages are recruited through people who live there.
- Business audiences are approached directly, and their role is checked before the interview is booked. Those who take part in research as a habit are screened out of consumer groups. Winemakers, exporters and other business owners are met at their place of work.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Moldova?
Most studies in Moldova run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, ethnographic home visits or UX research when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, telecoms, wine and B2B audiences, by video or in person | One language used for everyone |
| Focus groups | Advertising, concepts and food and drink ideas in Chișinău and Bălți | A Chișinău group read as the whole country |
| Shop-alongs | Supermarkets, the central market and village shops | Weeks when relatives are home from abroad, which change the basket |
| Home visits | Cooking, preserving and household routines | No introduction from a person the family already knows |
| UX research | Banking, telecoms and delivery apps, in Romanian and in Russian | A Romanian version copied from Romania without a local read |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Moldova
How much does market research cost in Moldova?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Moldova added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. A second language and fieldwork in villages move the price more than extra sessions in Chișinău. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Moldova?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Moldovan polling company fits a national survey or a media study. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Moldova that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Should research in Moldova run in Romanian or in Russian?
In Moldova, every participant picks the language of their session. Romanian is official and the first language of most people; Russian is the first language of many in Chișinău, Bălți and Gagauzia. We ask at recruitment, hold each group in one language and report the two side by side.
Is Chișinău enough for research in Moldova?
Chișinău is enough for a first read of urban buyers, about a quarter of the population. For a national decision in Moldova, add Bălți or the south, and some village households, because more than half the country lives outside the cities and shops differently. Two groups in the capital and six interviews outside it are a common design.
Can a study in Moldova be combined with Romania?
A study in Moldova can be combined with Romania under one guide and one project manager, since the language is shared. Prices, incomes, retailers and the role of Russian differ, so each country has its own moderators and its own report before the comparison. Both reports are written in English.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Moldova told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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