As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of September, 2020, the arrival of Eurospin Croatia has taken the country's bargain hunters by storm and caused quite the stir among commentators and competitors.

''We don't know who their sources of supply are, but the retail prices of some items with which they started aggressively at the beginning with are lower than those we're achieving in procurement,'' states the comment of some Croatian retailers on the new Eurospin Croatia store.

The Italian discount store Eurospin has just opened its fourth store in Croatia, in Velika Gorica close to Zagreb, in just under one month, and according to the announcements, it should conclude this year with 20 stores with a total of 500 employees. The philosophy of "smart shopping" is justified by the dominant offer of private labels, while of the Croatian products in Eurospin Croatia's current catalog offer of fruits and vegetables, there are only tomatoes (250 g for 6.99 kn), potatoes (5 kg for 10.99 kn) and cabbage (1.69 kn / kg).

It appears that they have already lost one Croatian supplier. The Zarja group from Kerestinec, known for its brand Rajska, has already terminated their contract with them.

''We started working with them and then realised that they work without a margin, just to go with the lowest possible prices. We gave them a normal price like everyone else, to be followed by calls from other angry customers that we give Eurospin our goods below cost,'' said the Zarja Group co-owner Zvonimir Belic for Vecernji list, explaining how such things do happen elsewhere, but in agreement with retailers - and for a short time, meaning only when actions are planned.

However, Eurospin Croatia's unilateral decision forced them to put their cooperation on hold until relations improved. Martin Evacic, head of NTL and the HUP Trade Association, also noted that Eurospin set a price alert at the beginning of its operations.

''It's difficult to get into that, but other retail chains don't have such sources to sell their goods at such low prices. It's obvious that this is being done without earnings or with minimal earnings, so this can't be maintained in the long run on the market,'' he believes.

When asked about business and aggressive prices from Eurospin Croatia, Vecernji list didn't receive an answer until the conclusion of the article.

''Eurospin Croatia will operate stably and profitably, as has been the case in recent years in Slovenia, and in our country it will occupy approximately 3-4 percent of the market. There will be more changes due to the fact that the Schwartz Group has become a market leader and its companies Lidl and Kaufland are continuing to open new outlets, and that the Polish fund Enterprise Investors (EI) acquired by Studenac has announced the further development of its acquisitions to annual turnover of about five billion kuna, covering the entire Croatian market,'' claimed Munjiza.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

The popular company is headquartered in Verona and has 1,200 stores across Italy. In 2004, they opened their first store in neighbouring Slovenia and today they have 55 stores under their belt there. Croatia is now the third "homeland of Eurospin".

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 17th of August, 2020, the well-known Italian discount chain chose Zadar for the ''stage'' of its performance on the Croatian market. The store is located in a superb location in the wider city centre, next to the Adriatic highway (Jadranska magistrala). The arrival of Eurospin in Croatia caused a great deal of media attention. The announcement of the opening of a hundred new stores in Croatia in the next eight years was commented by some analysts as an impossible mission, given the relative saturation of the Croatian retail market, unless Eurospin tries to purchase an existing player with organic growth.

As previously stated, this Italian company is headquartered in Verona and has 1,200 stores located across that country. In 2004, they opened their first store in Slovenia and today they have 55 of them. Croatia is the third "homeland of Eurospin", according to Petar Ninic, the young marketing director of Eurospin in Croatia, who spoke to Jutarnji list.

Eurospin currently has several construction sites in Croatia where it plans to open up supermarkets, and in Velika Gorica near Zagreb, it recently opened a logistics centre worth 12.5 million kuna. They are intensively searching for locations in which to open new stores all over Croatia. Prior to taking over the position of General Manager for Croatia, 32-year-old Petar Ninic worked at Samsung and Atlantic Grupa as Cedevita's brand manager.

"By the end of 2021, we plan to open about 20 stores in Croatia. We'll have about 500 employees. This year, after Zadar, we plan to open six more stores, in Pozega on August the 27th, then in Samobor, Velika Gorica, Krizevci, Zagreb and Porec. I don't know the exact dates yet, nor can I communicate them, but they will be known in time,'' announced Ninic.

For more on shopping in Croatia, follow our lifestyle section.

July the 30th, 2020 - Eurospin, a popular Italian store which sells everything from food to clothes and household appliances at more than reasonable prices, is on its way to doing business in Croatia, and it will more than likely go down a storm with the majority.

When it comes to shopping options in Croatia, there aren't as many as you might find in other European countries. When compared to the likes of the United Kingdom and Germany, there isn't a great deal of lower cost possibilities to choose from, which often comes as a surprise to many given the huge average wage differences between Western European countries and that which is typical of Croatia.

That, however, might all be about to alter as a promotional campaign has been intensified across social networks and in the media on the occasion of the opening of the first Eurospin store in the country, as Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of July, 2020.

"Customers who are familiar with Eurospin stores in Italy and Slovenia, welcomed the news of the arrival of a new Croatian chain of stores with its Italian roots. Under the motto Smart Shopping, the doors of the first Croatian Eurospin store will open in Zadar, on August the 13th,'' reads the Eurospin announcement.

''With more than 2,500 items of its own brands, Eurospin offers a full range of food and non-food products: from proven quality meat products in the butcher's department, delicious delicacies, fresh bakery products, fruits and vegetables, to clothing, household appliances and other everyday items,'' the statement reads, adding that the specificity of their stores is to sell Eurospin brands exclusively, but they also announced that they will readily provide space for the sale of Croatian products on their shelves.

For more on shopping and businesses operating in Croatia, follow our lifestyle page.