This Slavonian store is a unique selling point where the shelves feature a rich assortment of local produce from local Slavonian OPGs, handmade souvenirs, and traditional ethno clothing items.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of April, 2019, in the first year, sales surpassed expectations, and products from the new Slavonian store's shelves are finding their way around the world, from Uruguay all the way to Australia, Sanja Rapaić writes for Agroklub.

In Nova Gradiška, a town historically referred to as the youngest Croatian town, the totally unique ''Slavonian store'' was created last year. Located in a building with almost fairy-tale interiors dating from the 1920s, this small Slavonian shop boasts a varied and rich offer. The shop is unique, with a special atmosphere that combines the past and Slavonian traditions with contemporary methods of manufacturing for its numerous local producers.

Located close to the premises of the Tourist Board of the city in which it is situated, the Slavonian shop primarily attracts tourists, travellers and numerous Slavonians working abroad and who are coming on holiday to their native Slavonia. Thanks to them, products from local OPGs, cheeses, and cured meat products, as well as honey, fruit spreads and pastes, souvenirs, clothes and items decorated with ethno motifs and even expensive gold jewellery, have already travelled to almost all countries of the world, from Uruguay all the way to the other side of the world, to Australia.

"It all started two years ago, when the city of Nova Gradiška and six surrounding municipalities - Cernik, Rešetari, Staro Petrovo Selo, Nova Kapela, Davor and Okučani - founded the Nova Gradiška area community of producers. That was the basis of everything, with huge support from Nova Gradiška, in March of last year, we realised another idea of ​​a sales point through which all interested manufacturers could place their products.

As soon as we opened the Slavonian store, the shelves of which were immediately filled with products from all four Slavonian counties and from part of Sisak-Moslavina County. We started out with about twenty manufacturers and in just a year, their number doubled and today the Slavonian store has launched a range of products coming from as many as 55 subcontractors, of which about 30 percent are made up of OPGs, and the rest are from obrts (small companies) and from domestic labour,'' said Milan Rosić of the Slavonian store.

He pointed out that the opening of the Slavonian store has unexpectedly triggered another positive chain reaction. Namely, just so that they could put their products on store shelves, many Slavonian locals decided to open up their own OPGs.

"We're especially proud of the fact that many people who have good ideas and good products have been motivated to open OPGs, obrts or engage in home-based work, and make a serious effort towards doing this work. In the first year of operation, the Slavonian store was responsible for the opening of a dozen brand new OPGs, and partly because of this, our offer is richer and more luxurious every month. The sales are going more than well. Our customers are mainly foreign tourists, Brits, Italians, French and Japanese, of which there are, as much as it might seem unrealistic to some, more and more,'' he says.

While foreigners are mostly looking for souvenirs from this area, as well as traditional clothing, ethno-style jewellery creations, our people who work abroad and domestic tourists are primarily buying Slavonian delicacies - cured meats, various cheeses, alcoholic drinks, liqueurs, fruit juices, honey and honey products, and a variety of homemade pastes and homemade cakes which have been made according to old traditional recipes,'' says the shop manager, who is more than pleased with how the Slavonian store's sales are going.

The whole system works very easily, it's enough to contact the producer's community or come directly to the Slavonian store, where you can sign an agreement with the manager and arrange all details regarding the sale of your products.

"We're working on sales commissions, we negotiate quantities, we display products at our store, and at the end of each month we send a detailed sales data report to all of our producers, send them invoices and then make payments to their accounts for all the products we've sold here that month, so far, everything's been working flawlessly and everyone's satisfied, the manufacturers, the buyers, and us,'' stated Milan Rosić.

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According to official data, the town of Nova Gradiška has some 12,500 inhabitants. However, the locals say there are about 5,000 people left in the town. Shops, cafes and restaurants were closing down over time until two weeks ago. Then a new fast food restaurant opened in Nova Gradiška, offering pancakes for 10 kuna, sandwiches for 15 kuna and pizzas for 26 kuna. And if you do not have the money to pay – you will not stay hungry, reports RTL on January 18, 2019.

The 21-year-old entrepreneur Dora Vukšić has recently opened the restaurant. It is the first restaurant in Croatia to provide free meals feed to people who do not have enough money to pay. "People contact us on Facebook. They say they want a pancake, we prepare it, write that it is the pancake for that person. Before the person arrives, we pay for it, and the receipt stays with us. They just come to collect the meal,” explained Dora.

Everybody is welcome to come. And the employees of the restaurant guarantee them anonymity. “Most of them contact us over the phone or through the Facebook profile. There have been about a dozen such people, although we expected them to come in larger numbers. Perhaps people are ashamed to come,” Dora said.

Four people are employed in the restaurant and everyone, including Dora, have the same minimum wage. As soon as the business results allow it, she says she will increase everyone’s salaries, with her coming last. She explained that she is still getting used to being an entrepreneur. “I have a seal, and I have to carry it in my bag all the time. Still, I am happy because I know I am working for myself and I know it will be worth it,” said Dora.

The young mom used to work different jobs, including being a cleaner in Munich, Germany. But when she realised that it was not all milk and honey in Germany, she returned to Slavonia. Her fellow citizens are delighted; they say the town has finally woken up.

About 800 pizzas have come out of the restaurant kitchen since the beginning of the year. The business is doing better than expected, and they need more workers. "We are looking for a kitchen worker, but no one wants to work,” said Dora.

The young team, which feeds those who do not have the money to do it themselves, hopes that other restaurants will follow their example.

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Translated from RTL (reported by Aida Šukurica).

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