Tisak, a chain of Croatian newsagents, confirmed on Thursday that it will stop distributing newspapers at over 3,000 locations across Croatia.

The Association of Newspaper Publishers confirmed to Croatian news agency Hina that Tisak has cancelled its contract with them and that negotiations are underway with a new partner who will take over the distribution of their publications.

“Tisak will continue to sell printed publications, but we have informed our partners that we can no longer take over distribution. So far, we have distributed printed editions of various publications to a wide network of over 3,000 locations in Croatia, which far exceeds the number of Tisak sales outlets,” Tisak representatives told the Index news portal.

Tisak has cancelled its contract with the publishers

They emphasised that distribution is not part of their core business, but that they understand how important it is to ensure the availability of print media and public access to information.

“We believe that this activity will complement the activities of companies that focus mainly on distribution. We are willing to share our many years of expertise in this specialised field with other interested parties to enable the continuation of this important service,” added Tisak.

The Newspaper Publishers Association said Tisak was the one to end the long-standing partnership.

“Tisak has cancelled its contract with the publishers. We are currently negotiating with a new partner who will take over distribution after the cancellation period expires,” its representatives said.

Leading Croatian newspaper publishers have already mentioned Croatian Post as a possible new distribution partner and the president of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND), Hrvoje Zovko, has also mentioned this possibility.