THE ROLE AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF REGIONAL WHOLESALES MARKET IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EASTERN CROATIA - OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The main aim of the research is to gain insight into the significance, role, and potential of Osijek Regional Market Inc. as the market institution in the development of the economy of Slavonia, Baranya, and beyond. The regional wholesale market Osijek is one of the three wholesale markets operating in the Republic of Croatia, that is, one of the four wholesale markets within the National Wholesale Market Project, initiated by the Government of the Republic of Croatia in cooperation with the United Nations Agriculture and Food Organization (FAO), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The development and future prospects of the wholesale market affect the development of the region, encourage small-scale food producers, and represent a marketing institution that needs to be developed through provision of quality business conditions for the existing and future service users. This paper aims to identify the opportunities and challenges that the wholesale market is facing with the purpose of attracting new users and increasing the efficiency of using the existing wholesale market capacity. The paper analyses the underlying assumptions that market owners have to fulfil in order to provide potential users with all that is necessary. The paper uses the method of classification and description, as well as induction, deduction, and concretization.