The boycott of large retail chains in Serbia has already produced results because, according to the National Consumer Organization of Serbia (NOPS), 15.000 people refrained from shopping in hypermarkets on the first day.
NOPS invited consumers to a three-day boycott of hypermarkets that increased prices by 30 percent, and the increase in the value added tax (VAT) rate from 18 to 20 percent was used as an excuse for the price jump.
It is planned to boycott Maxi and Tempo stores on the first day, i.e. the day before yesterday, Idea yesterday, and Mercator and Mercator Roda today. At the insistence of consumers, however, they decided to appeal that all large markets be avoided for three days.
"This first organized boycott was successful as a protest against unreasonable price increases. According to data from the field, there are no crowds in hypermarkets, the number of customers has dropped significantly, and citizens mostly decided to shop at the markets or in smaller neighborhood markets, buying only necessary items and products," NOPS announced yesterday.
The fact that, even though they claimed that everything was justified, the prices of all items were reduced by 10 percent shows that even the merchants did not sit idly by and calmly wait for the boycott that was announced for days.
"This move in itself speaks of the success of the campaign and the fact that we, the consumers, are starting to be taken seriously. We invite other retail chains to follow this example and to permanently remove a minimum of 10 percent from the prices of all increased items, because it is obvious that there is room for normal market prices. Because a change for one day means nothing to us", said NOPS.
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