The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) has recently launched a new campaign called “Buy Croatian” to promote the purchase of domestic products and support local production and jobs. According to Sanja Smoljak Katić, Director of the Department for Trade at HGK, buying local products not only helps the local labor force but also creates opportunities for new investments and strengthens the competitiveness of the domestic economy.
The campaign is backed by data from a study conducted by the Economic Institute in Zagreb, which shows that if each Croatian citizen were to increase their monthly spending on domestic products by an average of 14 euros (108 kuna), it would lead to an increase in gross value added by 1.1 percent per year and a one percent increase in tax income. With consumers’ support and entrepreneurs’ participation, this could result in additional growth and employment opportunities for thousands of new employees.
Furthermore, HGK conducted a survey on the recognizability of Croatian quality and Original Croatian quality marks among consumers. The results showed that 92.9% of respondents were familiar with these marks, while more than half preferred products and services with these marks when making a purchase decision. Trust in the products’ quality was also a crucial factor for consumers, as well as believing that they are superior in comparison to others available on the market.
On the other hand, companies that use HGK quality mark labels reported recognition, competitiveness, and added value as their primary motivations for adopting this system. They also believed that these labels helped them gain customers’ trust and boost sales.