MOSTAR, February 13 (FENA) – A new boycott of stores in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to high prices has been announced for Friday, February 14, with citizens once again urged to refrain from any spending.
This will be the third consecutive Friday of store boycotts in BiH, and the organizers are calling on citizens to rationalize their spending on other days, avoid purchasing perishable goods, refrain from buying items that have seen the highest price increases, purchase only essential groceries, and abstain from shopping entirely on Friday.
The informal citizen group “BOJkot.ba,” which launched the initiative on social media, stated that Friday was once again chosen as it is widely recognized by the majority of BiH’s population as the day of total boycott.
They also addressed suggestions for extending the boycott to multiple days, explaining that “a two-day or multi-day boycott at this stage would put too much pressure on people who are still adapting to the process.”
“We do not want those who, due to various reasons—such as job type, lifestyle, illness, old age, etc.—shop in a specific way to abandon the process and see the initiative collapse due to excessive pressure or overambition,” they wrote on their Facebook page “BoJkot.ba,” adding that they support individuals who choose to carry out a multi-day total boycott.
The initiative is also supported by Ferida Kulović, president of the Consumer Association “Potrošač” from Kakanj, who believes that the store boycott has already yielded some positive results.
According to her, the boycott has prompted a reaction from both the authorities and retailers.
She mentioned the project by the FBiH government aimed at reducing and capping prices, as well as various “discount campaigns” in some stores, along with increased inspections and price controls.
“Retailers are now more cautious about raising prices, so I believe the campaign has been successful so far and has produced some results. I also think that, for now, a one-day store boycott is sufficient, as it has drawn attention to consumers, and some positive changes have started happening,” Kulović said.
