Supermarket Boycott in the Balkans - Serbian Consumers Join the Initiative in Protest Against Price Increases!
The Consumer Protection Association, Efektiva, called on consumers in Serbia to boycott five major retail chains due to their excessive prices.
The boycott targets supermarket chains Delhaize, Mercator, Univerexport, DIS and Lidl. Efektivka said it is normal for prices to increase due to inflation, but not by the amount reflected on store price tags.
The boycott initiative was initially launched by the Croatian consumer rights group Halo, Inspektore (Hello, Inspector) in late January. The group had announced a week-long boycott of supermarket chains Eurospin, Lidl and DM.
The movement also spread to other countries in the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia.
Experts call for excess value analysis
The success of a boycott depends on several factors, according to Veljko Mijušković, a professor at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Belgrade.
He said factors included the duration of the boycott, the level of consumer collective action and the retail chain's response to the boycott.
He added that experts have requested an investigation and analysis to calculate excess values, according to him it should be made clear "where there is a price increase that causes final consumers to pay significantly more for a type of product here (in Serbia) compared to other countries."
Experts said the path to reducing store prices lies with the government. Only they can introduce subsidies for basic food items, facilitate the entry of new vendors into the market, and reduce dependence on imported goods by encouraging domestic production.
How much impact does the boycott have?
A report by the Croatian tax administration showed that the boycott in Croatia resulted in sales falling by 53% compared to a week earlier.
The editor of the magazine Nova Ekonomija, Aleksandar Milošević, said that "producers and retail chains see that they have the power to dictate that they can have high prices and that consumers are willing to pay them, while in some other markets, consumers are not willing to pay more and go for lower price margins."
He added that a consumer boycott had the potential to effectively encourage stores to lower their prices.
Poll
Rama: With the new reform, we have placed contributions at the center!
At the international conference on pension system reform in Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama said: "One of the points we need to resolve is how to mitigate......
WB Director: Today's pension policies will affect future retirees!
At the international conference on pension system reform in Albania, the World Bank's Director for the Western Balkans, Xiaoqing Yu, said: “The pension......
International conference on pension system reform in Albania
An international conference on pension system reform in Albania is taking place in Tirana. The Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja,......
Investment banks warn: Trump tariffs could hamper Europe's growth in 2025!
A new wave of trade uncertainty could hit Europe's already sluggish economy as top US investment banks raise concerns over potential tariffs from President......
How much are the major currencies being exchanged today?
The European currency was bought today at 98.5 lek and sold at 99.5 lek without any significant change from the day before according to the local exchange......
Analysis/ Trump: Trade wars are easy to win! Is this true?
Donald Trump has dismissed trade wars, claiming they are easy to win. The US president imposed 10 per cent tariffs on China on Tuesday, while Mexico and......
Why did China restrict exports of critical minerals? - Aimed at strengthening global dominance in technology and military
China announced sweeping export controls on Tuesday, targeting five metals important to defense, clean energy and other industries. The move came after U.S.......
Albania with the lowest number of foreign asylum seekers in the Balkans during 2024!
Albania has the lowest number of irregular foreigners who entered the country and were referred to the asylum system in the Western Balkans in 2024, while......
