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A new and bigger boycott of shops in Croatia announced 

Spar supermarket Croatia

Stores all across the country were quiet on Friday

On Friday, people across Croatia boycotted stores, supermarkets, and petrol stations, expressing their frustration with rising prices.

The protest was organised by the Facebook group “Halo, Inspektore.”

According to Eurostat, food prices in Croatia have jumped by 45% since 2020, far exceeding the EU average increase of 33%. Bread prices have risen by 61% (compared to the EU average of 35%), eggs by 63%, fruit by 40%, meat by 38%, and vegetables by 44%.

The boycott on Friday had a noticeable impact: the number of transactions dropped by 44%, and the total sales value fell by 53%.

The “Halo, Inspektore” group has just announced another boycott planned for next Friday. This what they have posted

“LET’S GO: A NEW ‘BLACK FRIDAY’ FOR RETAILERS!”

At last, we’ve heard what retailers themselves, those who set the final prices for consumers, have to say about the boycott. The final price is what the consumer sees and pays – and the only aspect they can respond to within the entire pricing chain, from production to the shop shelf.

Croatian consumers responded with a boycott. Now, retailers have responded to the boycott.

Mirko Budimir, the representative of retail chains in the Croatian Employers’ Association and Vice President of the Executive Board of the HUP Trade Association, spoke during the RTL Danas news programme on 25th January, the day after the boycott. He conveyed the key message from retailers to all consumers: “We will continue to operate as we always have (…)” and “(…) this ‘so-called’ boycott won’t change anything (…)”

So, dear consumers, through their representative, retailers are showing us the figurative “middle finger”:

1. A boycott, where consumers united against unbearable and unprecedented price hikes and halved retailers’ traffic and profits in a single day, has apparently left little impression on them.

2. Retailers plan to continue as before, with no changes to their pricing policies.

Since this is the position of retailers, communicated to us consumers who participated in the boycott, we acknowledge their message loud and clear.

Here is our proposed response:

A NEW FRIDAY – A NEW BOYCOTT!

Next Friday, we will boycott all shops again. Even stronger. Even louder.

We are not giving up on boycotting specific retail chains. We are not giving up on boycotting particular products that have seen drastic price increases. We will merely postpone these for a short while.

This is because the statement from the retailers’ representative deserves a comprehensive response – a boycott of all shops. LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

It seems retailers have not yet grasped the first lesson, so let’s remind them: BOYCOTT ALL SHOPS IN CROATIA FOR ONE DAY!

Are you in? Yes or no?

We will announce your decision and the details of the new, larger, and more widespread boycott on Monday, 27th January 2025, at five minutes to noon!

“We are united in hardship,” the page declares.

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