Serbia is the latest country to join the boycott which started in Croatia and which quickly spread to other countries of the Western Balkans.
The association for consumer protection “Efektiva” called on Serbian consumers to boycott five large store chains due to their prices deemed excessive.
The initiative aims at the Delhaize, Mercator, Univerexport, Dis and Lidl, Efektiva supermarket channels believing that Current inflation does not justify the extent of the increase in prices observed in these brands.
The boycott was Originally launched by the Croatian Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights “Halo, Inspektore” (Hello, Inspector) at the end of January. The group had announced a week -long boycott of Eurospin, Lidl and DM supermarket chains.
The movement then gained momentum in other countries of the Western Balkans, notably in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia.
Can a boycott be really effective?
The success of a boycott depends on several factors, according to Veljko Mijušković, professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade, who spoke with Euronews.
He explains that the factors include The duration of the boycott, the level of collective action of consumers and the response of the chain of stores to the boycott.
Like several experts, He wants a survey to be conducted on the supply chain of the signs concernedto determine which level is happening “The increase in price that makes end consumers pay much more for certain types of products here in Serbia compared to other countries.”
He adds that only the government can introduce subsidies for basic food products, facilitate the introduction of new sellers on the market and reduce dependence on imported products by encouraging national production.
A 53 % drop in sales
A recent report by the Croatian tax administration shows that The boycott in Croatia led to a fall in sales of 53 % compared to the previous week.
The editor -in -chief of Nova Ekonomon magazine, Aleksandar Milošević, explains that “Manufacturers and commercial channels believe that they can practice high prices and that consumers are ready to pay them, while on other markets, consumers opt for lower price margins”.
He adds that consumer boycott can actually encourage stores to lower their prices.
