Products from Croatia can be bought from the world’s largest supermarket to the North Pole.
“INA is no longer, in economic or any other terms, a strategic national company. We might think that emotionally, but in reality it is not. For example, Podravka sells its products at as many as 500,000 points of sale around the world, while INA has barely 50 outlets, all located in the region”, said Ljubo Jurčić, former Economy Minister and president of the Podravka Supervisory Board, reports Jutarnji List on December 18, 2016.
There is no continent and no corner of the world where you cannot buy at least some of Podravka products. But, Jurčić also emphasises something else – there is a strong faction within the current government, led by Minister of State Property Goran Marić, who claims that Podravka has to be returned to the list of companies of strategic importance, or at least of special state interest. And that means there would be no privatization.
Indeed, there are few Croatian companies which can say that their products are sold at half a million retail outlets worldwide. Vegeta, Linolada, pasta, chutney and spices are sold in as many as 64 markets around the world – from the North Pole to Tierra del Fuego in South America, from Alaska to Tasmania, south of Australia. Products and campaigns are adapted to markets where they are being sold, and Vegeta has become a globally known product, offered even in Walmart stores in the United States, the world’s largest supermarket chain. Interestingly, Podravka hot chutney can be found on the shelves in Svalbard, the northernmost European island village, relatively near the North Pole.
The motto “You eat better with Vegeta” can be seen on the streets of the cities of Tanzania, while in the Chinese capital Beijing you can buy Lino baby food and Podravka pasta. In the super-rich Dubai, store shelves offer Podravka soups, Vegeta, Lino baby food, and many other products.
Podravka is the only food company among the 50 largest Croatian exporters, and on this prestigious rankings it has jumped to eighth place with last year’s export growth of almost seven percent. With last year’s exports of nearly 900 million kuna, Podravka has positioned itself among companies such as INA, Pliva, Valamar, Croatia Airlines, Petrokemija… On the other hand, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Croatian Electric Company (HEP), Dalekovod, Končar – these are all seasoned Croatian exporters who nowadays are behind Podravka.
