At the beginning of 2025, a call for a general boycott of stores spread across social media.

The initiative launched by the page Halo inspektore called on citizens to suspend all purchases on January 24, 2025, in order to draw attention to high prices and inflation. Consumers were then encouraged to show their strength and send a message to retail chains. However, judging by the latest data, that appeal remained only a forgotten episode because citizens continue to spend in stores more than ever before.

Official figures from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics

According to the latest report from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics for March 2026, retail trade turnover continues its uninterrupted growth. Official figures show that exactly 36 consecutive months recorded an increase in real turnover on an annual basis. Calendar-adjusted turnover in March 2026 increased in real terms by 3.3% compared with the same month last year.

Decline in food purchases alongside significant growth in other goods

Looking at the monthly level, seasonally adjusted turnover in March 2026 recorded growth of 0.9% compared with February of the same year. A more detailed analysis by category reveals interesting changes in customer habits. Sales of motor fuels and lubricants increased by 6.4% on a monthly basis, while trade in non-food products achieved growth of 2.4%. On the other hand, a slight decline of 0.8% was recorded in trade in food products. On an annual basis, the picture is somewhat different, so turnover in food and beverages in March 2026 was 3.1% higher compared with March last year, and non-food products recorded a jump of a high 8.0%, while sales of motor fuels and lubricants recorded a decline of 4.7%. In the first three months of 2026, an overall increase of 3.1% was also recorded compared with the same period of the previous year.

Gap between public dissatisfaction and the actual situation

In conclusion, a clear mismatch can be observed between occasional public outbursts of dissatisfaction and actual economic indicators. Although citizens a little more than a year ago actively shared calls to suspend consumption due to rising prices, the data show stable and continuous growth in retail sales. The trend of turnover growth over a full three years indicates that consumers have adapted to the new market conditions. Instead of reduced consumption, the data clearly prove its continuous recovery and expansion, despite all earlier calls for resistance.