There is a lot of mixed messages on the Internet about shopping in Montenegro, about shops and markets. Many say that Montenegro is almost a paradise for a lover of cheap European shopping. And here you need to go on shopping tours for clothes, fur coats, branded items. Is this true? Let’s figure it out.
Table of contents:
- About markets and shops in Montenegro: general information
- Shopping in Montenegro: what you need to know
- Outlet stores in Montenegro
- Travel tips
It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Montenegro without these websites
About markets and shops in Montenegro: general information
In every city in Montenegro there is always a food and clothing market, maybe quite small. Here locals sell products from their garden, cheese, meat.
Market opening times:
- Usually from 6 am to 2 or 3 pm. After 3 pm there is no one in the market. I would say after 1 pm there is not much to do here.
- Important: all markets in the country are closed on Sunday!
There are also mini markets in every town. There are three main chain stores in Montenegro: Voli, Franca, Aroma. Where to buy groceries doesn’t matter. Prices and selection are pretty much the same everywhere. But I like fresh bread and pastries more in Aroma, for example.
Stores opening hours:
- The standard opening hours of any grocery store are from 8 or 9 am to 9 or 10 pm.
- Important: grocery stores are closed on Sunday!
Good to know:
In Montenegro, there is a law in trade that prohibits working on Sundays. Trade employees should have a day off, at least one! Therefore, neither markets nor shops are open on Sunday. Buy groceries and other necessary goods in advance.
But on Sunday all taverns, restaurants, cafes are open. Bakeries where you can buy fresh pastries are also open. Therefore, locals go to cafes and restaurants on Sundays.
Here are a few more general points about markets and shops in Montenegro:
- Bargaining is not accepted in the markets. You may be given a discount of 1 euro or the total amount will be rounded down. But there will be no bargaining like in the oriental bazaar. But you can ask for a discount in Montenegrin, and you will definitely win over the seller. Then the chances of a small discount are much higher. Or you will get a couple of good tomatoes for free with your purchase 🙂
- Molimo dajte popust – (Please give a discount) – this is exactly what this phrase sounds like. Even more useful words for tourists from Montenegrin.
- In Montenegro, it is prohibited by law to sell liquids (milk, oil, beer) in bottles other than 1 liter and 0.5 liter. Here you won’t find beer 0.4 l or 0.45 l, but sunflower oil 0.9 or 0.8 l. Only 1 l or 0.5l, and 0.33l is also presented as a standard.
Locals buy vegetables, herbs, fruits in the markets, there is more choice and fresh vegetables. And other products in stores.
Shopping in Montenegro: what you need to know
Now I want to talk about clothing shopping. There is a lot of information on the Internet that Montenegro is almost the center of European fashion, where Milan was moved to second place. Let’s go in order.
- The main shopping in Montenegro takes place in Bar and Podgorica.
- Overview of the city Bar for tourists
- Overview of Podgorica
- Bar, because it is the main port city of the country. All cargo ferries from Italy, Greece, Turkey, Albania come here with clothes and other things.
- And Podgorica – because the capital and largest city of the country and with Bar they are connected by the only railway line in Montenegro, it is convenient to transport goods.
It is important to understand:
In Bar and Podgorica there are stores of luxury brands, such as Prado, Gucci and other Italian brands :). But the selection in these stores is quite small. And the prices are no different from the same stores in the rest of Europe. New collections are very expensive, while old ones can be bought at good discounts.
Discount season in Montenegro – at the same time as European sales. This is February-March, when they sell winter collections. And August-September, when they sell summer ones.
Also in Montenegro there is a mass market and there are fakes as elsewhere:
- Ferries from Italy arrive in Bar with luxury clothes
- Ferries from Turkey also come here with Turkish-made clothes of popular Turkish mass-market brands: LC Waikiki, Defacto, Koton.
- From neighboring Albania, things are sent from Albanian factories for Italy, Turkey, and so on.
- Therefore, the Montenegrin market has everything: both Armani and Turkish consumer goods. And the prices here are low, only when compared with London or Paris. In the rest of Europe the prices are the same..
Outlet stores in Montenegro
There are two large outlet stores in Montenegro and both in Podgorica. Here you can spend the whole day. There are many brands, good clothes, there are almost no new collections, but discounts on old collections are up to 70%.
- Mall of Montenegro – located almost in the city center, 10-15 minutes on foot..
- Official site:www.mallofmontenegro.com
- Coordinates and map: 42.43207868738052, 19.263210212707477
- Delta City is the largest shopping mall in Montenegro. All brands that are in the country are represented here.
- Official site: www.deltacity.me
- Coordinates: 42.437165862977736, 19.23554907932154
Travel tips about shopping in Montenegro
Do not expect good shopping from Montenegro.
It’s hard to say that prices are good here. See what to compare with. If with London, then yes, quality and branded items are much cheaper here. But in general it is difficult to find a country where they are more expensive than in London.
My wife and I do not buy and I cannot compare prices for Italian brands in Montenegro with other countries. But we love good running shoes. So in Warsaw we bought Nike at the outlet store for 30 euros, in Belgrade we bought Nike for 30 euros, and in the Bar we bought Nike for 30 euros at the sale.
It is important to understand:
Shopping in Montenegro at the cost of goods is exactly the same as everywhere else in Europe, Greece, Turkey. The sales are held at the same time in all countries. There are outlet stores everywhere too. But the assortment and choice in Montenegro is smaller. There are only 600 thousand people and 3 million tourists in the country – for whom should there be a shopping center? For example, in Barcelona shopping is developed much better than in Montenegro. But 1.5 million people live in this city and another 20 million visit the city every year.
Do you want real shopping? Travel to Italy by ferry or plane – it’s easy and fast. If you need a mass market, fur coats, boots – go to Turkey. And Montenegro is a country of sea, mountains and food.
Below are two useful articles for the shopaholic:
- What to bring from Montenegro as a gift to family and friends.
- And if we figured everything out with clothes, then alcohol, prosciutto and cheeses are what you can and should buy in Montenegro. All about alcohol in Montenegro.
In conclusion: there is shopping in Montenegro, but it is no better than in the rest of Europe. It’s not cheaper here, the choice and assortment is not better. If your goal is shopping – better change your tickets to another country, or here you will be very disappointed.
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro
- Flights at the best prices with discounts
- Car rental in Montenegro (cheaper – only by bus):
- Discovery Cars – a large international resource
- LocalRent – work with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
- Hotels and apartments all over the country: Booking
- Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- eSIM virtual sim card with internet in Montenegro
- Taxi and transfers from Montenegro airports: Intui.Travel