March 14, 2020 – Experts say that panic surrounding coronavirus can be more dangerous than the virus itself. Amid news of panic Croatian supermarket buying, TCN visits supermarkets in Split to see the realities on the ground.
After Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced that schools would close for two weeks from Monday and that citizens should strictly follow the measures in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Croatians kicked into self-isolation gear all over the country.
With this comes the obvious hysteria, which resulted in stories of panic buying around the country. While Croatia didn’t exactly follow the route of Australia, where toilet paper became nearly impossible to find, it was interesting to see how Croatian shoppers chose to prepare for a few weeks in solitude.
After we had a look into how the citizens of Varazdin equipped themselves on Friday, I thought I’d set out for my big shop on Saturday to my neighborhood supermarkets in the Firule area of Split.
I began at Tommy up the street, primarily to stock up on cat food for my furry friends at home.
There had been speculation that the meat shelves would run dry this weekend, and based on this Tommy supermarket, it was true.
Toilet paper, however, was fully stocked.
In the United States, pasta shelves emptied quickly. The selection of Barilla was only a bit thinner than usual at this Split Tommy.
Frozen goods also took a small hit, with fish products the most popular items missing.
Tommy had a sign at the register asking all customers to stand one meter apart.
Next up was DM, where toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues were mostly lacking.
And you’d be lucky to find soap and antibacterial sanitizer near the checkout.
Spar was my final stop, where clerks actively resupplied the aisles with food items.
Red apples and lemons were on the low side, however.
But toilet paper was on sale!
And there was still plenty available.
Some bottled water and milk brands could use a refill.
So, how was my self-isolation shopping Saturday in Split? Fortunately, I was able to acquire everything I needed, and shoppers out and about didn’t seem panicked, nor did they buy in bulk. It was no busier than a typical Saturday morning shop in the Dalmatian capital.
What have you had trouble finding in Split? Send over your self-isolation shopping photos to [email protected].
For the latest on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.
