Croatia’s capital Zagreb has seen the opening of the city's first “social supermarket”, catering for the poor members of the community.
The store, located in the suburb of Siget, is an initiative of the City of Zagreb, the Red Cross and Caritas. It counts on the support of retail chains Billa, Dinova-Diona, Konzum, Lidl and Prehrana Trgovina, as well as dairy company Dukat and water bottler Jamnica.
The supermarket is intended for those people who currently are not in the system of receiving help from the City of Zagreb or any other institution.
Only those who have been directed to the store by the Red Cross or Caritas will be able to help themselves to products. The current base of aid users comprises about 2,500 people.
So-called “social supermarkets” have already sprung up in other Croatian cities in the last 24 months, including in Split, Rijeka, Gospić, Karlovac, Vinkovci, Varaždin, Krapina, Zadar, Koprivnica, Sisak, and one soon to open in Osijek. Although “social stores” have also opened in Zagreb, this is the first opened by the City Council. The stores will offer users a range of different food and hygiene products.
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