Flying Tiger Copenhagen plans to enter Croatia in 2028

Flying Tiger Copenhagen plans to open its first stores in Croatia in early 2028. The Danish retail brand’s arrival forms part of an expanded partnership with Albania’s BALFIN Group, which also covers Romania and Bulgaria. For Croatia’s franchise sector, the announcement signals the planned entry of another international brand that is increasingly relying on franchise partnerships to expand.

Croatia included in new expansion plan

According to information published by Croatian business publication Lider on 12 October 2026, BALFIN Group has confirmed that Croatia is included in its expanded strategic partnership with Flying Tiger Copenhagen. This marks a change from the earlier regional expansion strategy, which did not include the Croatian market among its planned destinations.

The new agreement provides for a total of 87 stores across Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria over the next five years. This figure covers all three markets combined, rather than Croatia alone. The allocation of stores between the countries has not yet been announced.

The entry timetable also varies by market. Expansion into Romania and Bulgaria is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the first Croatian stores expected to follow in early 2028. The announcement therefore sets out a timeframe for the brand’s arrival, but not opening dates for individual stores.

When following this project, it is important to distinguish the agreed expansion strategy from specific store openings. Croatia is now part of the announced plan, but details of its store network have yet to be presented. The overall regional target should therefore not be taken as an indication of future store density in the Croatian market.

Regional partnership lays the groundwork for Croatian stores

Flying Tiger Copenhagen already operates in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. Under the published plan, it expects to have a total of 20 stores across these markets by the end of 2026. This is a year-end projection, not confirmation that all 20 stores are already open.

Entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro has also been announced for early 2027. Croatia will therefore join a later phase of the regional expansion, following an established presence in four markets and announced launches in neighbouring countries.

BALFIN Group, the partner behind this expansion, already has a presence in Croatia. Samir Mane founded the group in Vienna in 1993 and, according to Lider’s report, it now operates in 13 countries and employs around 5,000 people. These figures refer to the group as a whole, not to the Flying Tiger Copenhagen network or its future operations in Croatia.

The Croatian announcement is therefore not about a standalone store project, but an extension of an existing relationship between the brand and its regional partner. This framework links the move into Croatia with plans for Romania and Bulgaria, as well as the network’s earlier development across the region.

A brand expanding through franchise partnerships

Flying Tiger Copenhagen is part of Danish company Zebra A/S. It is known for affordable decorations, toys, stationery, kitchen accessories and quirky household items. Its planned arrival will bring a retail concept offering a varied range of small products for everyday use, the home and leisure.

Of particular relevance to the franchise sector is the brand’s growing reliance on franchise partnerships for international expansion. Its entry into Croatia has been announced through an extension of its cooperation with BALFIN Group, rather than the appointment of an individual local franchisee.

This is an important distinction for entrepreneurs tracking new brands. An announcement of market entry through a regional partnership does not, in itself, constitute an invitation for applications from franchisees in Croatia. The published information does not specify any terms for such participation, investment requirements or opportunities to take on individual stores.

This news should therefore be viewed as confirmation of an international concept’s planned arrival, rather than an investment opportunity formally offered to local entrepreneurs. Any assessment of a potential business partnership would require separately published terms and clear confirmation of the partnership model available.

Croatian locations and network size yet to be announced

It is not yet known how many of the planned 87 stores will open in Croatia. Neither cities nor specific locations have been announced. The available information therefore does not yet allow an assessment of the brand’s local footprint or the sequence of openings within the country.

The next key announcements will be those that translate the regional plan into a specific Croatian rollout: store numbers, addresses and opening dates. Until then, early 2028 remains the announced timeframe, rather than a precise opening schedule.

Practical takeaway: entrepreneurs interested in working with the brand should distinguish a market-entry announcement from a franchise offer. Before planning an investment, they should wait for confirmed Croatian locations and any partnership terms that may be published.