COMMUNICATION WITH CUSTOMERS THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS – EVIDENCE FROM THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

: Consumer behavior and the buying decision process are influenced by social and personal factors. The subject of this paper is communication with customers through social networks in the eight largest Croatian companies. To this end, eight of the most well-known retail chains in Croatia were selected and analyzed in mid-2019, five of which are grocery stores and three are specialized drugstore chains. The paper aims to analyze the type and intensity of two-way communication (between retail chains and customers) through the social networks used by retail chains for promotional activities in the Republic of Croatia. Three social networks were analyzed: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. A signif icant proportion of retailers have recognized the benefits of advertising through social networks, but still, some have not recognized social networks as a platform for two-way communication between followers and retailers.