- by croatiaweek
- January 26, 2026
-
in
Business
NAMA
One of Zagreb’s most recognisable retail landmarks is preparing to close its doors, bringing an end to more than 140 years of commercial and social history in the Croatian capital.
NAMA department store on Ilica has officially announced its closure, with a large clearance sale beginning today.
Customers can take advantage of discounts of 30 per cent until 13 February as the long-running institution enters its final chapter.
The announcement was shared on NAMA’s official social media channels, accompanied by an illustration of a broken blue heart and a message addressed to the citizens of Zagreb.
“Dear residents of Zagreb, thank you for your loyalty over the past 140 years,” the message read.
Reflecting on the store’s significance, NAMA described it as part of everyday life in the city, a place remembered through familiar shop windows, long-standing rituals and routes walked almost without thought.
“Some stories last for decades and remain in our memories through small rituals and familiar displays. This story is slowly coming to an end, but we want to finish it the way it lived, with you,” the statement said.
As part of the closing sale, the 30 per cent discount is applied at the checkout and does not include already discounted or promotional items, footwear, gift cards, tobacco products, mobile top-up vouchers or Zagreb waste bags (ZG vrećice).
NAMA
The closure follows a long and complex financial history. The Zagreb department store has been in bankruptcy proceedings for the past 25 years, while the last two years have seen a lengthy process of selling its assets and commercial space on Ilica.
The historic NAMA building itself was sold to a new owner late last year, effectively sealing the future of the store at its iconic location.
NAMA (Photo: Gveret Tered/CC BY-SA 4.0)
The news has prompted a strong emotional response from the public. Many social media users expressed sadness at the loss of what they consider a symbol of Zagreb.
NAMA’s story stretches back to the late 19th century. In the 1870s, Austrian traders Carl Kastner and Herman Öhler decided to open a trading store in Zagreb. After operating from several addresses, they moved to the location near the main square on Ilica in 1889.
In 1906, the building was converted into a well-known hotel. After the hotel closed following the First World War, the premises returned its focus to retail, gradually expanding across multiple floors over the years.
The Second World War brought further changes, and immediately after the war, on 6 December 1945, the traders’ organisation Narodni magazin officially opened NAMA in the now-iconic building.
NAMA (Photo: Roberta F./CC BY-SA 3.0)
For generations of shoppers, visiting NAMA on Ilica was an experience in itself, offering the atmosphere of a traditional old Viennese department store.
