People Power: Croatian shop boycott leads to chains announcing price cuts

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A second nationwide consumer boycott kicked off in Croatia on Thursday, with citizens urged to refrain from shopping at three chains and from purchasing three products for one week.

The movement, led by the platform Halo, inspektore, also called for a one-day total boycott of all purchases on Friday—both in-store and online as a show of protest against rising prices.

Last Friday, people across Croatia boycotted stores, supermarkets, and petrol stations for the first time and it had a noticeable impact: the number of transactions dropped by 44%, and the total sales value fell by 53%.

Now with the boycott ramped up this week to include certain chains and products, this has been a response from both retailers and the government.

Retailers Respond to Consumer Pressure

In response to rising concerns over high prices, major retailers have announced price reductions.

Kaufland Croatia revealed that it will lower regular prices on over 1,000 products starting 5 February.

The retailer emphasised its commitment to making essential goods more affordable, stating that its weekly promotions already cover over 1,800 items, 24sata reported.

Konzum, another major supermarket chain, also responded by investing an additional €1 million into reducing and freezing prices on 250 domestic products not covered by government price controls.

Stores all across the country were quiet during the boycott  

Government Expands Price Control List

On Thursday, the Croatian government introduced an expanded list of 70 essential products with capped prices, up from the previous 30.

The new list includes staple items such as bread, pasta, canned goods, dairy products, and cured meats. The measure is set to take effect next Friday, allowing retailers seven days to adjust their pricing.

Josip Kelemen, an advisor for Halo, inspektore, called on consumers to extend their boycott beyond supermarkets, urging them to avoid spending at banks, telecom companies, delivery services, petrol stations, cafés, and restaurants.

He also encouraged foreign workers and pensioners to participate, stressing that the goal is not to attack retailers but to highlight the unsustainable rise in prices.

With the boycott gaining traction and retailers responding, it remains to be seen how this movement will impact long-term pricing strategies in Croatia.