Today, Croatian citizens responded to the call for a boycott of shops and services due to rising prices, although participation was lower than in the previous two Fridays, according to the Croatian Tax Administration.

From midnight until 15:00, there was a 15 percent decrease in invoices issued in retail stores compared to Friday, January 17, a day without a boycott. Overall, the total value of invoices was down by 20 percent.

In contrast to last Friday, the number of invoices issued in retail increased by 25 percent, with the total amount climbing 37 percent.

During the first boycott on January 24, which saw a significant public turnout, the number of invoices surged by 48 percent, with the total value increasing by 58 percent.

Josip Kelemen, an advisor from the consumer platform Halo, which organized the boycott, stated that today’s lower turnout “is not a failure.”

“We are still spending less. Our goal is to demonstrate that the consumers’ voice can be influential,” Kelemen shared with RTL, emphasizing that purchasing decisions lie solely with consumers.

This marks the third consecutive Friday of the boycott, and starting tomorrow, one retail chain will be under boycott for a week. Consumers decided through social media polls that Konzum, Croatia’s largest retail chain, should be the first targeted.

As of yesterday, three retail chains—Lidl, Eurospin, and DM—are also being boycotted for seven days, along with the purchase of bottled water, carbonated drinks, and detergents.

The boycott has received backing from unions, the opposition, and the government.

Meanwhile, the government has elected to expand the list of products with price caps, increasing it from 30 to 70 items.

Starting today, shelves containing price-restricted products must be clearly visible in stores.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković remarked that the state has taken action, but now others need to get involved, stating, “no one would go bankrupt if prices were slightly more reasonable.”

Reports indicate that many citizens living near the border are increasingly opting to shop in Slovenia and Italy, where prices are often significantly lower than those in Croatia.

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