May 20, 2023 – Shopping in Croatia has been pretty effortless so far, and it feels like the shops are always open. The new Croatian Trade Act comes into force on July 1st, though, and the most important item it brings is the limitation for shops only to work 16 Sundays a year. So shopping centers, among others, had to think carefully about which Sundays to choose and which ones to give up.
Fortunately for them, as Poslovni writes, there will be 27 Sundays left from July 1st to December 31st, and it will be easier to allocate 16 working days to that period than it will be from next year when a strategy and work plan should be devised throughout the year, writes N1.
While it is somewhat easier for retail chains, it is much more difficult for shopping centers because everything needs to be worked out with the tenants, who have different ideas about working Sundays. That’s why, for example, Arena Centar in Zagreb still doesn’t have specific dates for working Sundays, but the general idea exists.
“We decided to focus on the increased customer interest period at the year’s end. We will inform the public about the exact dates promptly”, they told us from the Arena Center.
Avenue Mall already has specific dates for working Sundays, but the people of Zagreb have to prepare that from July 1 to September, they can forget about that shopping center on Sundays.
“We will be open the first three Sundays in September, the first four in October, and all Sundays in November and December,” said Avenue Mall.
Split Joker had to think about the tourist season and increased traffic in July and August, so they could not give up working Sundays during that period. Therefore, they had to “deny” themselves Sundays in the months after.
“We will work on July 9, August 20 and 27, September 3, 10 and 17, October 8 and 15, all Sundays in November, and all Sundays in December except the 31st,” they say in Joker.
Somehow, the Zagreb City Center One has the best situation for its business because East will work according to one schedule, West according to another. It will overlap only on the busiest dates.
West will be open on July 9, August 13, September 3 and 10, October 8, 15, 22, and 29, every Sunday in November, and every Sunday in December except the 31st. East will be open on 16 July, August 20, September 3 and 17, October 8, 15, 22, and 29, all Sundays in November, and all Sundays in December except the 31st.
Indeed, six months of work according to the new law will be enough time for large shopping centers to prepare for the coming years when they will have to distribute the allowed 16 working Sundays more carefully.
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