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Retailing capital and landscape changes in transitional country: an example of Croatia

In the last decade Croatia has experienced dynamic and intensive transformation of its retailing system. After the period of real-socialist economy and centralized planning of most retail facilities, changes in political and economic system have initiated privatization. Therefore, at the beginning of 1990's many new stores were opened and closed. Simultaneously, some important state-owned supermarket and department store chains experienced decline. In the second half of 1990's foreign capital started shaping retail landscape of Croatia. Because of the war and its consequences this process has been delayed compared to many other transition countries. An important aspect of this process is its spatial differentiation. New hypermarkets and shopping centres have been emerging almost exclusively in the biggest towns, excluding smaller town and rural areas. Storage and wholesale facilities and agricultural land on the periphery have been transformed into new shopping destinations for cities and surroundings. In Zagreb, old industrial and residential buildings in city core became sites for smaller versions of "urban entertainment centres" seen in western countries. These economic trends have also influenced the creation of new social and "pseudo public" spaces in Zagreb. Shopping centres assumed a role of leisure places and the time people spend there increased significantly. The paper will focus upon spatial differences of emerging retailing landscape in Croatia. Example of shopping centres in Zagreb will be given in order to provide more detailed picture of changes in capital city of transitional country.

retailing capital; supermarket; hypermarket; shopping center; Zagreb; Croatia

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