Home » News » Croatia to boycott three chains and products in new protest against prices

Croatia to boycott three chains and products in new protest against prices

Lidl

Lidl

Last Friday, Croatia witnessed a nationwide boycott of stores, supermarkets, and petrol stations as citizens expressed their frustration over soaring prices.

The movement, initiated by the Facebook group “Halo, Inspektore” and supported by the European Consumer Excellence Centre (ECIP), gained backing from unions, political parties and consumer groups.

Friday’s boycott had a visible effect, with transactions down by 44% and sales value dropping 53%. The organisers hailed the initiative as a success and have announced a second wave of action.

New Boycott Plans Announced

At a press conference on Monday, Josip Kelemen from “Halo, Inspektore” detailed the upcoming boycott scheduled for Friday, 31 January.

“This is organised by consumers. We are just the channel,” Kelemen explained. The next boycott will be more extensive, targeting a wide range of activities. Citizens are urged to avoid all shopping, banking, telecommunications services, fuel purchases, online orders, and even visits to cafes and restaurants.

Kelemen called for peaceful protest and solidarity from workers.

Targeted Boycott of Retailers and Products

In addition to Friday’s nationwide action, a week-long boycott starting Thursday will focus on three major retailers and three specific products.

Retailers: Lidl, Eurospin, and DM.

Kelemen criticised Lidl for its practices and urged consumers not to spend “a single cent” there for a week.

Eurospin faced backlash over unfulfilled promises of affordability and quality, including complaints about substandard products.

DM was also named, though specific grievances were not detailed.

Products:

Coca-Cola: Prices have reportedly risen by over 20% without explanation.

Bottled Water: Consumers are asked to avoid all brands for a week.

Detergents: Complaints include reduced product volume and skyrocketing prices, with some increases reaching 100%.

A Call for Change

“This is a message to those responsible for this chaos,” Kelemen declared, sharing stories of struggling citizens, including a taxi driver living on a tight budget and a pensioner barely making ends meet.

The movement aims to force businesses and authorities to address the rising cost of living and implement meaningful changes. “Let’s stop Croatia on Friday,” Kelemen urged. “We’re saying no to these price hikes. We want a better life.”

According to Eurostat, food prices in Croatia have surged by 45% since 2020, far outpacing the EU average of 33%. Staples like bread, eggs, fruit, meat, and vegetables have seen dramatic price hikes, with bread up by 61% and eggs by 63%.

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