Sanda Renko

Sensing nostalgia through traditional food: an insight from Croatia

Purpose – Due to the growing trend of consuming healthy food, which reproduces the ideal of the food the authors tried in their childhood, an increasing number of researchers have brought together the values of tradition, nostalgia and food. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between food and nostalgia in order to find out in which way they affect each other. Design/methodology/approach – In order to explore the perspectives of traditional food in re-collecting and re-experiencing positive past experiences, both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in two stages. First, focus group interviews were conducted with ten restaurant chefs in three different regions of Croatia. Then, a survey was carried out with 362 Croatian consumers. Findings – Focus group results show that although traditional food creates new opportunities for differentiation, finding the right ingredients and time for cooking traditional food is still a problem. There is a low interest in traditional food...

Attitudes of the Croatian population toward genetically modified food

Until recently, the Croatian public has been relatively indifferent and unaware of issues related to genetically modified (GM) food products. However, the situation has changed and the Croatian public is becoming deeply sceptical about the benefits of GM food, and also generally about the food they eat. This paper examines some of the dimensions of the attitudes of the Croatian population toward GM food, and points out the high level of knowledge about biotechnology, and also the high level of non‐acceptance in this regard. These findings are significant for Croatian trade (especially importing and exporting), since knowledge about population preferences may influence the status of the Croatian food industry, as well as foreign food producers.

Sustainable development: concept, interest groups, benefits and global challenges

The article focuses on review of sustainable development covering analysis of the definition, determining of key interest groups, as well as benefits for each of them, and main global challenges which are changing the concept of sustainable development itself and influencing the behavior of all the parties involved.

Sustainability as the Direction for the Long-Term Success in Banking: Poland vs. Croatia

Abstract Dynamic environment forces companies to develop new approaches to establishing objectives and to develop management practices. Apart from doing profit-making activities, companies are forced to undertake activities aiming at their long-term sustainable development. As a result of deregulation and globalization, the banking sector had to accept the postulations of sustainable development and to keep their position on the market through establishing lasting relationships with customers, environment organizations, employees and a local community. The main goal of this paper is to explore implications of sustainability on the banking sector. Based on the research on the sample of 33 bank managers, the paper is trying to find out whether there are similarities in sustainability aspects in the banking sectors of Poland and Croatia. The findings of the papers suggest that banks in Poland express stronger need to take into account the environmental, social and economic concerns comparing to banks in Croatia.

Environmental responsibility of the Croatian retailing

As the population as well as their consumption continues to increase, the increasing stress has been made on environmental responsibility of companies at the local and global level. Therefore, severe stress is putting on the limited available resource base and it is resulting in mounting waste discharges to the environment. As the most crucial link between suppliers and consumers, retailing could contribute in effecting the global shift to corporate environmental responsibility. Retailers can control and manage their own environmental and social impacts through implementing environmental management systems for energy/water conservation, waste management, logistics, recycling programs, etc. They can influence their suppliers to produce in a more sustainable manner and encourage them to develop eco-friendly products. Additionally, they can encourage consumers to purchase eco-friendly products as well as provide advice on the use and disposal of the products and offer facilities and services such as take-back systems for batteries, reusable bags, etc. Retail companies have realized the importance of the environment, as increasingly reflected in their strategies and daily business operations. Therefore, an increasing number of retailers are publishing Sustainability Reports in addition to their annual reports. The main purpose of the paper is to explore aspects of environmental responsibility in the Croatian retail industry. These include reducing energy consumption, waste management and recycling, carbon dioxide emissions, etc. As there is a lack of literature on the environmental performance in the Croatian retailing, the goals of the paper are also to bridge a gap in the research literature about the environmental issues and to give a brief description of the situation in the Croatian retailing. The research is based on secondary (desk) and primary (field) research. Within the framework of secondary research, the relevant domestic and foreign literature with the topic of environmental responsibility was used. Within the framework of primary research, the study on the sample of 60 retailing managers was conducted. Statistical data analysis was done using SPSS 13.0. The research instrument was a questionnaire containing questions related to the environmental area focused on recycling programs, energy consumption and emissions, water consumption, waste, health and safety of children, genetically modified food, packaging, etc. The findings of the papers suggest that some retail companies have made significant improvements in environmental responsibility, but others still demonstrate mediocre environmental responsibility. They acknowledge that they are indirectly responsible for the environmental impacts of the produce and products in which they trade. For this reason all of them implement HACCP system of Food security management which provides health food across all supply chain. Also, they have waste management strategies in place. The findings reveal that the process of retailing internationalization and media coverage increased efforts of retail companies operating on the Croatian market to demonstrate environmental responsible behaviours. The results indicate that retailers are concerned about investigated aspects of environmental performance but there is still room for improvement.

A case study of the Croatian beer market structure and performances

This paper considers the structure and performances of the Croatian beer market, as well as consumers’ attitudes and preferences. The results emphasise that the domestic brands with their quality and tradition, in spite of the imported beer brands’ influence, are the dominant brands on the Croatian beer market.

How New Consumers’ Consumption Patterns Caused Changes in Food Distribution Channels in Croatia

In general, channels of meat distribution in Croatia include (a) direct sale in open market area; (b) local stand-alone butcher shops that co-operate with some farms offering their meat there; (c) chains of butcher shops; (d) supermarkets and hypermarkets; (e) the channel of Horeca (hotels, restaurants, snack bars). The whole Croatian meat market has 300,000 tons estimated value, but it has met with changing trends in consumption because consumers have less time for home-prepared meals. Moreover, consumers prefer one-stop shopping and large-scale retailers due to their variety of merchandise offered. The main goal of the article is to find whether new consumption patterns affect the way of butchering and the choice of distribution channels in the case of the Croatian meat market. Therefore, the qualitative research among consumers and meat distributors in three Croatian regions was conducted. The research reveals consumers’ meat outlet preferences.

Grocery store attributes in recovering economies: an empirical investigation of their importance, using three-component contour plotting.

The authors share results of a study conducted to measure the attributes of grocery stores that are the most important for consumers in a market recovering from war and transitioning to a market economy. Applying a trilinear coordinate plot, the authors develop a model that consists of those attributes. The findings led to conclusions that services and location, rather than the historically favored attribute of price, increasingly are key factors affecting store choice. Managerial implications are discussed and future research directions are suggested.

The secrets of the longevity of informal retail markets in Croatia

Purpose Despite modern retail formats, for many cultures, informal markets (street markets, farmers` markets or wet markets in Asia), fleas, and bazaars still remain an important part of life. The aim of this article is to provide further insight into the characteristics of informal retailers, and to explain their growth and longevity in markets. Design/methodology/approach In order to explore what attracts customers to informal retail markets a survey conducted on the sample of Croatian consumers was carried out. Findings The results show that consumers point out fresh, affordable, and healthy products, and relationships with vendors as the main advantages, while weather conditions, unattractive food and crowds are the disadvantages and barriers of purchasing at informal markets. Practical implications The results presented give directions for various subjects how to increase the popularity of informal markets. Originality/value This paper addresses consumers` perception of informal markets in the contex...

The Basic Postulates of the Green Image of a Country: The Case of Croatia

A country image is a generic construct created by a wide range of factors as representative products, national characteristics, economic and political backgrounds, history and traditions. In times when environmental protection and performance have become two of the world’s most important priorities, such a general view of a particular country should include green dimensions as well. Literature review suggests a lack of literature on the coexistence of country image and green orientation. The goal of the chapter is to bridge the gap in the research literature about the green image of a country and to explore the level of awareness of its existence among tourists. Therefore, after secondary (desk) research, primary (field) research in two stages was conducted. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in both stages. Firstly, group interviews were conducted among tourists in the capital of Croatia. Then, a survey was carried out with 250 tourists who shared their perception of the environmental practices in Croatia. The research results indicate that Croatia has a green image mostly because of its unspoiled nature and natural food assortment. However, the implementation of environmentally responsible activities is lacking, especially those related to waste and energy management, as well as fundamental knowledge and experience of Croatian citizens on how ecological awareness contributes to higher quality of life.