Photo: Tanjug
The association for consumer protection "Effectiva" called on citizens to boycott the purchase of groceries in large retail chains on Friday because of the "most expensive groceries in Europe". In the stores, it really seems that there are fewer customers than usual, although before the boycott they lowered the prices massively
It's Friday (January 31) in the morning, a time reserved for retirees who are usually preparing to "visit" Maxi, in order to get everything ready for the weekend and Sunday lunch. However, the shop in one block in New Belgrade is less full than usual at this time.
"There are a few less people than this morning, it seems that they saw this about the boycott," says the saleswoman in Maxi, but quickly adds when the others hear her. "Although, maybe I'm wrong, I've been working all the time since this morning, so I can't see well."
"This is about the boycott" was an action created at the invitation of the Association for Consumer Protection "Effectiva", which called on people in Serbia not to shop for one day in four retail chains - Deleze, Mercator S, Univerexport and DIS - due to suspicions that they were fixing prices. and thereby violated certain provisions of the Law on the Protection of Competition. A fifth one was added to them - Lidl, which "Effectiva" claims also adhered to the policy of high prices.
They invited customers to send them information from the stores, pending data on potential reduced traffic. The action follows a call from 7 days ago from Croatia, where u spent in stores 30 million euros less than a week before.
We will hardly have official data about the result of the boycott today, so we invite you to send us videos and interesting information, or tag us in the posts, if you have footage inside the market‼️ pic.twitter.com/nHnGWjL316
- Consumer Association EFEKTIVA (@UBKEFEKTIVA) January 31, 2025
Empty self-service cash registers
Lately, cash registers in Maxi where you can pay by card without a cashier are mostly full, because younger people have mastered the self-service technique.
They were empty for more than 10 minutes this morning.
There are three more regular cash registers in this Maxi, and only one was working. However, there were three or four people waiting on it. A few pensioners and an occasional younger customer.
"Well, I buy, why not buy," says an elderly gentleman. "Neither have I heard of that boktoy, nor am I interested."
In front of the shop, two women sell wild eggs. One says "she noticed that since this morning fewer people have entered Max's and next to Lili's", and the other is packing eggs in a sow and adds "God forbid, how long are you going to do with that, you're just asking for something". Thinking, I guess, of last week's general strike action in Serbia, on January 24, when there was also a call not to enter the shops.
Nevertheless, Sandra, from Belgrade, says that today she "doesn't grab hold of purses and wallets".
"Who cares, there is this small shopping center nearby, so let him buy everything in stores that are not part of the big ones," she adds. "I'd like to avoid that too, but I'll have to get the kids something for the afternoon."
The situation on the ground is transmitted by citizens on social networks.
"In Tempo, one cash register is working, empty. All self-service checkouts are empty. Inside, literally three consumers. Lidl in Bul Despot Stefana, two cash registers work, 5 people at them. All self-service checkouts are empty. At this time, on Fridays, it is significantly more, more crowded," writes one on X.
Did we understand correctly?
The people did not understand the story about the boycott, writes one X user and sends that yesterday he waited five minutes in Lidl to get a free trolley, because it was full as if it were opening, while people bought quantities sufficient for five days.
Is it because of the well-known fear of shortages on the shelves, that some have decided to prepare well, so as not to run out of food by accident.
Now, it seems that those whom the consumers want to boycott have also prepared for the boycott.
Thus, citizens report that large chains have reduced the prices of products throughout supermarkets in Serbia.
Who buys milk in IDEA for 950 dinars,
Zagorka to arrest him immediately.
And to review the origin of his property.— Gane Budimirović (@Gane_64) January 31, 2025
"I don't have a picture, but this morning in Aroma, 300 grams of milk was 499 dinars, while they were 800 and something." Best wishes too. "I passed by my maxi, only the pensioners were inside," writes one Xx user.
Maxi, adds another, "today dropped a barrel of spaghetti from 260 to 99 dinars."
"I don't think we're aware of how much we've been robbed in the last couple of years," he comments on this move.
How was it in Croatia?
On the first Friday of the store boycott in Croatia, January 24, 44 percent fewer fiscal invoices were issued in stores than a week earlier, while the total amount of invoices was 53 percent less compared to the previous Friday, the Croatian tax administration announced.
The boycott on January 31, apart from Serbia, will also be followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia.
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