Consumer protest

Croatia: Shopping boycott against high prices

(Bild: APA-PictureDesk/DENIS LOVROVIC / AFP / picturedesk.com)

Consumers in Croatia are stepping up their protests against the continuing high prices in the country. A week-long boycott of three retail chains and three product groups began on Thursday. On Friday, citizens are once again being called upon to boycott all purchases and services via Facebook. According to Croatian media, a similar campaign last Friday was successful.

The Facebook platform "Halo, Inspektore" (Hello, Inspector), which is run by a Zagreb-based consumer protection organization, had called for a shopping boycott. "We need to send a message to those who are responsible for the price madness," said their advisor Josip Kelemen.

Call for a boycott against Coca-Cola
Consumers are being called upon to refrain from shopping at two discount stores and a drugstore chain from Thursday until February 5. According to the platform, the three retail chains were selected on the basis of price comparisons and an analysis of consumer complaints. For one week, citizens should also refrain from buying Coca-Cola and other soft drinks, bottled water and washing-up liquid. The prices for these products have risen significantly, it was said.

A boycott of Coca-Cola was also called for in Croatia.

(Bild: APA-PictureDesk/DENIS LOVROVIC / AFP / picturedesk.com)

Kick-off pushed sales down by 50 percent
The first campaign last week reportedly met with a great response: according to media reports, citizens took part in the boycott en masse last Friday and stores across the country remained largely empty. According to the Croatian tax authority, retail sales plummeted by more than 50 percent on that day compared to the previous week.

The general boycott is to be extended on Friday. People are being asked not only to refrain from all shopping, but also to avoid transactions with banks and telecommunications providers, orders via delivery platforms and even spending in cafés and restaurants.

The boycott was called after Croatian retailers recently announced new price increases. According to reports, prices are set to rise by at least 3 percent. The initiative was supported by other consumer protection organizations, trade unions, political parties and even Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković described the boycott as an "important and clear message from citizens". He announced last week that the government would take this message into account in further measures to limit prices.

Government extends price cap
In the fight against persistent inflation, the Croatian government is planning to extend the existing price cap on food and hygiene products. The current list of 30 product groups, which includes staple foods such as eggs, flour, milk and oil, is to be expanded to include further products. Initially, it was said that 20 more products would be added to the list. However, Plenković announced on Thursday that a total of 70 products would be subject to a price cap in future.

With an inflation rate of 4.5 percent in December 2024, Croatia has the highest inflation rate in the eurozone. The average rate in the eurozone was 2.4 percent in December. Across the EU, only Romania and Hungary have higher inflation rates than Croatia.