Consumer Research Reveals Rise of Croatian Bargain-hunters

According to the research, Croatians tend to buy consumer goods in large supermarkets to the detriment of smaller shops, whose share of total trade is less than 30 per cent. One discount chain LIDL continues to grow thanks to "cash&carry" offers.

Elsewhere, in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, the situation is slightly different – big stores, including supermarkets and hypermarkets, have a large share of the market, but there are no discount stores.  Small shops' share in the business takes over 40 per cent.

In Serbia, hypermarkets have frozen their share to five per cent and together with supermarkets make up 28 per cent of the trade. The Serbian market is highly segmented, with small stores taking up 54 per cent of the share in the market, according to GfK's research.

The first ten chains take three quarters of the market in Croatia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina 45 per cent and in Serbia 41 per cent.

GfK's research also showed changes in consumer behaviour which had been influenced by the financial crisis. In Serbia, buyers are tending to go shopping less frequently and are more likely to plan in advance what to purchase, buying only what’s necessary for the household. The result, according to the research, is a constant drop in sales in the country.

However, Croatians have not cut down on the number of times they go to stores, rather they are now looking for promotions, discounts and store brands, portal Monitor writes.