In the past two years, since the citizens of Croatia have been facing inflation, there is hardly any food item or product on store shelves that has not become more expensive, and rising costs pose a problem for an increasing number of people. The entry of Croatia into the eurozone at the beginning of 2023 has not helped this situation, as citizens ‘let off the brakes’ in their spending decisions, since smaller numbers in which prices are expressed in euros seem cheaper, even though they are not (one euro sometimes feels like one kuna, even though we know it is not).
This adds further pressure on the already limited budgets of Croatian households, resulting in reduced purchasing power for citizens. While some are coping with rising prices by reducing consumption, and others are seeking ways to increase income or secure additional sources of income, there are unfortunately those who turn to theft.
In the eleven months of 2023, the Ministry of the Interior recorded 1867 criminal acts of theft from stores, while in the same period of 2022, 1638 such criminal acts were recorded. However, the recent increase in petty thefts in stores in Croatia is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that employees of one store, as recounted by an anonymous source, no longer even try to chase after thieves when they notice them stealing because they simply cannot keep up. It has been reported that perfumes are particularly targeted in drugstores, and the perpetrators are mostly younger individuals.
Similarly, social media is filled with testimonies from people who have recently noticed shoplifters, especially from the older population, discreetly placing groceries like salami into their coat pockets in supermarkets. Such scenes, although not at all pleasant, evoke sympathy in some, especially considering the low pensions that Croatian retirees live on.
