Croatia continues boycott of stores over high prices, Coca-Cola to be impacted

The Halo Inspector civic initiative in Croatia has urged people to continue the boycott of shops and shopping centers announced in January in protest against rising prices. The BIRN portal reports on this.

Halo Inspector, which is supported by a public organization that protects the rights of consumers in Croatia, called for no shopping on Friday and a seven-day boycott of three retail chains and three categories of goods.

The boycotters are to target Lidl, Eurospin, and DM, as well as Coca-Cola and other carbonated drinks, bottled water, and dishwashing detergent.

“We want to send an even stronger signal that the Croatian market should finally start to be regulated and that monitoring mechanisms should be launched,” said Halo Inspector representative Josip Kelemen.

The boycott of retail chains over price increases, which began in late January in Croatia, spread to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

Following Croatia’s example, Bosnia and Herzegovina also joined the boycott. According to media reports, it was less successful because people still went shopping.

At supermarkets visited by BIRN in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, employees told BIRN that their turnover was down by about 30–50%.

Supermarkets in North Macedonia were also preparing for fewer customers, with a local consumer association supporting the boycott and the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party and the opposition Social Democratic Party both voicing support for price cuts.

The first boycott announced by Halo Inspector took place on January 24.

Data from the Croatian Tax Administration showed that the total number of retail invoices issued that day was 44% lower than the week before, and the total number of invoices was 53% lower.

In this context, the Croatian government decided on January 30 to freeze prices for 70 products, including bread, pasta, ham, sausage, fish, milk and dairy products, various types of fruits and vegetables, and even dishwashing detergent—but not Coca-Cola and bottled water.

Croatia also saw a surge in prices in early 2023, after the country switched to the euro.