2025 Southeast Europe retail boycotts

A series ofboycottshave been held againstretail storesinSoutheast Europesince late January 2025. The boycotts started inCroatiaon 24 January in reaction to rising retail prices across the country. Boycotts inSerbia,Montenegro,Bosnia and Herzegovina,North Macedonia,Slovenia,Albania,Romania,Bulgaria,Kosovo, andHungaryhave been launched. Meanwhile, calls or plans for boycotts are occurring inSlovakia,Greece, and theCzech Republic.
Main chains have been accused of engaging inprice fixing.Apart from the potential violation of competition laws, the boycotts came amidst soaring food prices and cost of living throughout the region and are caused by various economic factors. The boycotts have received widespread public support.
Prices in Croatia had surged in the lead-up to the boycott, to the extent that salaries and pensions did not keep up. This began as part ofthe broader increase in prices due to inflationfrom theCOVID-19 pandemicand was accentuated whenCroatia joined the Eurozonein 2023.A declining agricultural sector, large food retailer monopolies and erosion of smaller businesses, an influx ofimports, and anoverreliance on tourismhave all contributed to the inflationary surge.Further price hikes have since been implemented by various retailers in the country, leading to a 30% surge in prices according to official metrics.
Croatia became significantly more expensive to live in than neighboring countries.The price of basic food items, such asbreadandeggs, increased by up to 60% in some cases. Attention was drawn to the cost of products in Croatia compared to their cost in neighboring countries; for example, a German shampoo brand was said to cost 130% more in Croatia than in Germany. In Bulgaria, it was 20% cheaper than in Croatia. This even included locally made products, with a Croatian seasoning costing €7.69 per kilogram within Croatia, as opposed to €6.35 in Sweden.Branimir Bradarić, writing for the Montenegrin newspaperVijesti, noted thattourists in Croatia, who used to frequent restaurants on a regular basis, now began to eat in their apartments due to the exorbitant prices.
In Croatia, inflation went up for the fourth consecutive month. Services costs rose 6.3 percent and prices in the food, beverages and tobacco group were 4.7 percent higher than the previous year.As a result, Croats refrained from shopping at retail outlets and grocery stores, and avoided using delivery services, banks, restaurants, and cafes. The boycott also included the cessation of bill payments and shopping online.
The idea for a boycott in Croatia began in theFacebook groupHalo, inspektore,managed by the European Center for Consumer Excellence.Its president Josip Kelemen stated that the idea stemmed from the consumers themselves. Initially, it called for a boycott ofvealfor a week, citing an alleged 40% increase in food prices within the past few months.The idea for a one-day 24 January boycott spread across Croatian social media, receiving massive support.During the boycott in the latter half of January, there were multiple attempts to undermine it. One of the more prominent attempts was the renaming of groups made in support of the leading party's presidential candidateDragan Primoracto "Halo inspektore".
The boycott consisted of the avoidance of certain products such as bread, pasta, ham, sausage, fish, milk, dairy products, and some types of fruits and vegetables. The boycott was meant to send a strong message of dissatisfaction with the price increases.As a result, theMinistry of Economy of the Republic of Croatiaexpanded the list of products with restricted prices.
Data revealed that the total number of invoices issued in retail on Friday, 24 January, was 44% lower than it was on the Friday the week prior (17 January), while the total monetary cost was down by 53%. For all activities, it was 29% and 36% lower respectively.Empty shops and parking lots were reported.
Although the boycott cut sales by half, retailers refused to lower their prices;this led to another week-long boycott starting on 30 January. This boycott specifically targeted the retail chains ofLidl,EuroSpin, andDMwhich were alleged to have exorbitant prices. Lidl was a focus of criticism because it entered the Croatian market under the promise of keeping them low.The boycott also targetedsoda(specifically Coca-Cola),detergents, andbottled water. As part of the boycott, a general boycott of all products and services was called for on 31 January.
Halo, inspektorehas announced the next phase of the boycott, beginning Friday, 7 February, which will target the supermarket chainKonzumfor the entirety of the following week, in addition to a general market-wide boycott of all supermarkets scheduled on Friday. The target of the extended boycott was determined by an online poll, with Konzum receiving 31.7% of the vote.The third general boycott resulted in 20% lower total monetary cost and 15% lower number of invoices in retail than pre-boycott.
The success of the Croatian boycott spawned a domino effect, leading to other calls for boycotts throughout Southeast Europe, especially in theYugospherecountries.A synchronized strike across the former Yugoslav countries occurred on 31 January.
Calls for boycotts in Albania began to pick up in wake of the boycotts in other Balkan countries, with several separate initiatives springing up as a result. One called for a boycott from 5 to 10 February, while another called for a single-day 16 February boycott. An appeal distributed online claimed that "prices in Albania are among the most abusive in theEuropean Union" and urged Albanians to target supermarkets, shops and services that have allegedly increased prices.The 5–10 February boycott initiative will target one specific establishment on each day, starting withBig Marketon 5 February, thenConad,Albmarket,Xhangolli,Eco Market, and finallySPAR.
Inspired by efforts in Croatia, social media users in Bosnia and Herzegovina began calling for a similar boycott on 31 January. The boycott cited concerns over skyrocketing prices, noting that prices in the country were higher than those in other countries such as Germany.Furthermore, concerns were raised over the cost of living.The Bosnia and Herzegovina boycott targetedshops,restaurants, andgas stations.It aimed to pressure authorities and employers within the country to curbinflationand increase theminimum wageandstandard of living.
A boycott organized by the "System is Killing Us"movement, the Federation of Consumers in Bulgaria, the United Pensioners' Unions, the former ombudswomanMaya Manolova, and ex-MPVelizar Enchevoccured on 13 February. In asocial mediapost, they stated that prices in retail chains and smaller grocery stores have skyrocketed, threatening 800,000 Bulgarian pensioners living below the poverty line, as well as the working poor.They also stated that for items in foreign chains such asbutter,milk,cheese,meatandsausages, the prices were higher domestically in Bulgaria than in their home countries such as Germany or Austria, despite said home countries having a higher standard of living. The post also called for the Bulgarian government to place a price cap on 70 essential food items.They also called for support for medium and small-scale producers and transparency regarding pricing mechanisms.Nelly Dimitrova of the System is Killing Us stated that Bulgarians could not even afford basic essentials such as milk, eggs, or meat.
Before this boycott was organized, the deputy chairman of theVMRO – Bulgarian National Movementparty, Carlos Contrera, had also called for a boycott onFacebook, again highlighting how prices for the same product had differences upwards of 20% between its price in Bulgaria and in Germany.
As of 13 February, the boycott has begun in the country.
The 13 February boycott resulted in a revenue decline of 28.8% for the largest supermarket chains compared to the previous day.
A boycott initiative began to spread on CzechRedditfollowing the Croatian boycott. A poster on the r/czechsubredditcalled for a boycott from February 17 to 23 against major retail chains. In addition to get said chains to reduce their prices, the boycott also aims to eliminate abuse of discounts (which the supporters say are actual normal prices) and opposecustomer cards.Many Czechs supporting the boycott called for state support in regard to prices.
Greece has seen notable price increases within the past few years. Within the month of January 2025, fresh meat increased by 3.05%, fresh fish and seafood by 2.87%, and water, juice, and soda by 3.01%, with coffee and chocolate also seeing surges in pricing within the preceding months.A boycott on 19 February in Greece is being organized by INKA, or General Federation of Consumers of Greece.It calls for Greeks to not spend a single euro that day, even calling for avoiding payments tobanks,public services, water,electricity and telephone bills,fuel,supermarkets, cafes,restaurants, commercial stores, purchases of electrical andelectronic goods, plus anyfinancial transactions.The president of INKA, Giorgos Lechouritis, also called on the Greek government to support this measure.
Calls for a boycott are spreading on Hungarian social media, with one organization calling for one lasting from 11 to 13 February, while another for just 13 February.The latter has become the most popular, owing to it falling on Hungarian pension day, when pensioners tend to shop disproportionately, meaning that a boycott would cancel out the sales increase that typically accompany said day.The boycott is meant to be a protest against inflation and rising food prices, with some again noting that prices in neighboring countries were cheaper.The boycott specifically targetedAldi, Lidl, SPAR, Tesco,Auchan,Penny,Coop,CBA, andG-Roby. The organizers stated that since February 13, aThursday, was the last day of the boycott, every Thursday onward could be a boycott day.The resulting boycott was widely seen as not having any serious effect on Hungarian prices.
A rise in prices for consumer products has led to calls for a boycott in Kosovo. An image on social media called for a boycott from 1 to 7 February, though it has not been revealed who was behind the call.A single-day boycott on 10 Februaryis being planned by the "Boycott Markets" group on Facebook if the price hikes have not been addressed.The boycott was called on the 10th in order to not disrupt the election campaign for the9 February parliamentary elections in Kosovo.In addition to the rising prices, Kosovars have also complained about low wages, which when compounded with high prices, has allegedly impoverished many families, with one claiming that purchasing power was upwards of 60% lower, while the price ofburekhas doubled in three years. Furthermore, prices are the same in Kosovo as they are in Germany and Poland, despite the lower Kosovar salaries: a liter of milk in Kosovo costs 1.35 euros, while in Portugal it costs 0.97 euros, in Germany 1.14 euros and in Belgium 1.17 euros.Kosovar supermarkets had record profits in the year prior, according to ex-minister of foreign affairsPetrit Selimi.The boycott calls for citizens tobuy from local farmersandgreen markets.
A boycott commenced in Montenegro on 31 January. Inflation in the country rose by 30.5% between 2021 and 2024, with food prices surging by as much as 41%. Retail stores experienced upwards of 50% in turnover rates from 2021 to 2023, while some had profit increases high as 200% during the same time period. Many Montenegrins complained that prices in their country were much more expensive than in other countries. The Free Trade Union of Montenegrohad also urged its members to join the boycott.
On 31 January, North Macedonia also participated in this mass boycott.The country has been undergoing similar issues regarding price surges. A "New-Year's basket" government initiative intended to resolve the issue via an optional program where retailers could reduce prices, but it was viewed as insufficient, with reports of retailers raising prices prior to decreasing them.
The boycott resulted in a revenue decline of 46.59% at the eight largest supermarket chains compared to the previous Friday and 46.29% from the previous day. The Public Revenue Office reported total revenue of 114,293,367denarson the day of the boycott, down from 212,782,151 denars on 30 January.
Boycott calls have also appeared in Romania. A growing number of Romanians, includingCălin Georgescu, the frontrunner in the now-canceled2024 Romanian presidential election,and ex-prime ministerVictor Ponta,called on their fellow citizens to initiate a boycott on 10 February that will last until 16 February.In addition to high prices, they also want supermarkets to be boycotted for not selling Romanian products, opting instead to buy local products to encourage thelocal economyand promote domesticfood security.Furthermore, they desired to have Romanian prices and food quality to be more in line with that ofWestern Europe. The boycott will targetLidl,Kaufland,Carrefour,Mega Image,Profi, and Penny Market.The country had one of the highest inflation rates in the European Union in 2023, at 5.1%, leading to price increases forvegetables,fruits, and detergents.As of February 12, the boycott had limited success and a large number of Romanians continued shopping from supermarkets. Also, an anti-boycott movement appeared on social media, in response to the involvement of extremist parties in the boycott.
A boycott was initiated in Serbia on 31 January. Serbia's boycott was unique in that it occurred in the backdrop ofstudent proteststhat had been ongoing in the country since November 2024, followingthe collapse of a train station's canopyinNovi Sadon 1 November 2024. The country has one of the highest prices in Europe, with domestic products often being cheaper in other countries.In October, four retail chains;Delhaize,Mercator S,Univerexport, andDIS[sr], were investigated by the Serbian government over allegations ofprice gouging. These four companies, in addition to Lidl, are the targets of the boycott in Serbia.TheUnited Trade Unions of Serbia "Sloga"urged its members to join.
Calls for a boycott have been made inSlovakia.A Facebook page calledDon't Feed Us with Waste,followed by over 146 thousand people, made a call on February 6 towards Slovaks, calling on them to buy nothing for a single day to express dissatisfaction over exorbitantly high food prices.The page called for a boycott specifically againstBilla,Tesco, Lidl, Kaufland, andCOOP Jednota[sk].The Slovak Alliance of Modern Commercehas criticized the initiative, pointing out that prices in  Slovakia are only 82% of the EU average, as opposed to Croatia's 102%.
Calls for a boycott in Slovenia have also commenced.Governmental data has shown that in the country, Slovenes pay on average 44% more than they did a decade prior. Despite having a lower increase in prices than average for the European Union, prices have still risen for food items such as olive oil (20%), butter (17%), meat (3–6%), and bread (2%). Slovenes frequently made comparisons to Italy, where prices were much lower.The boycott, if it is acted upon, will target certain retail chains and is to end on 2 February, afterwards, Slovenes are urged to boycott other stores until 9 February.
The boycotts were widely popular across the several countries. One poll showed 84% of Slovenes supporting a boycott, with 78% intending to participate.A boycott was supported by 90% of Bosnians,while 89.5% of Croats stated that they would participate in their own boycott.A similar sentiment was echoed from Macedonians.Many national politicians supported the measures.Governments in the region have also begun talks with consumer organizations and retailers to tackle the issue.
In Croatia, the government did not condemn the boycotts and on 30 January announced a price freeze on 70 consumer goods in response.The boycotts were endorsed by several Croatian parties, such as theSocial Democratic Party of Croatia,Možemo,Most, and theHomeland Movement.The latter'sAnte Šušnjar, thenational minister of the economy, also endorsed it.The supermarket chainsKauflandandKonzumannounced that they were implementing price caps on 1,000 and 250 products respectively.
In North Macedonia, the rulingVMRO-DPMNEparty endorsed the boycotts. Themain oppositionparty,SDSM, also supported them, but blamed the current government and administration of Prime MinisterHristijan Mickoskifor ignoring the opposition's plans to counter the price surges while managing the issue with "fake baskets".
The Montenegrin prime minister,Milojko Spajić, supported the boycotts, with his vice minister of the economy, Nik Đeljošaj, asking the protestors to not include domestic workers. The Chamber of Commerce, whose members are owners of retail chains, and the Montenegrin Consumer Association opposed the measure.
In Bulgaria, thePlovdivbranch of theBulgarian Socialist Partywas the first party to endorse the boycott.Delyan Peevski, the leader ofDPS – A New Beginning, announced that his party would introduce a law aimed at controlling prices in response to the boycott.
In Romania,Florin-Ionuț Barbu, theminister of agriculture, opposed the boycotts, citing how 70% of food products on Romanian shelves are locally made, stating that it would lead to the death of Romanian food processing.Ex-prime ministerFlorin Cîțucalled for Romanians to boycott the state, not the retailers "where millions of Romanians work who pay the same taxes as us and are subject to the same communist regulations."