Since yesterday, September 21, residents and occasional tourists on Susak island don’t have a place to buy groceries anymore. The only store on the island, named ‘Saita’ and owned by Milan Jurlina, closed down at the end of the summer season, reports otoci.net.
The store is located in Donje selo, just a couple of steps away from the local port. It used to be open throughout the year, but according to Jurlina, he and his wife can’t keep the business afloat in winter months.
“Many factors caused us to close down – our age, our health… My wife retired, and it isn’t profitable to keep the store open in winter, as it’s impossible to cover all the expenses. The rent prices are high, and we have no one to help us”, said Jurlina.
He still isn’t prepared to part with his business entirely, so he plans to reopen the store once the next tourist season rolls around, starting from April 1. However, he says he will decrease the range of products.
In a couple of days, the local bakery will also close for business, leaving residents of Susak without a single place where they could buy bread or milk. Until March next year, they are forced to go to Lošinj island to do their shopping in Mali Lošinj; on days when the weather gets bad and the ferry line ceases to operate… Well, they’ll have to make do with what they have at home. And you thought life on islands was all fun and games, eh?
