The Zagreb City Markets Development Strategy to 2050 is expected to be presented in August, Ivan Novaković, president of the board of Zagreb Holding, announced in a report to the City Assembly, Zagreb.info reports.
The Institute for Development and International Relations has been drafting the document since late last year, with completion expected in early August. The aim, Novaković states, is to establish a long-term framework for the modernisation of markets, infrastructure improvement, business sustainability, and adaptation to new market conditions.
The strategy will also cover possibilities for the redevelopment, repurposing, and further improvement of existing locations, the report states.
Novaković submitted the report in accordance with a conclusion of the City Assembly from November last year, adopted on the initiative of the parliamentary club of Marija Selak Raspudić, and relates to the operations of the subsidiary Tržnice Zagreb from 2021 to 2025. He notes that some investments during this period were postponed, others were abandoned, and the City of Zagreb took over the implementation of certain projects.
Market capacity occupancy is rising: from 60.93 per cent in 2023, it increased to 61.19 per cent in 2024 and to 64.58 per cent last year. Novaković expects growth to continue in the coming years.
Markets are becoming increasingly venues for events alongside their retail function. More than 100 events were held between 2021 and 2025, with revenue from these events amounting to 715,300 euros during that period, excluding December of last year. Comparing 2021 and 2025, revenue has nearly doubled.
"Markets are not only places where groceries are purchased, but also venues for cultural, social, and gastronomic events," Novaković said.
