Balkan Shopping: Markets Big & Small

In sharing about shopping here in Skopje, I thought I'd start from the big stores and work my way down to the smaller ones. There are three main supermarkets here in Macedonia: Tinex & Tediko (local), Vero (Greek) and Ramstore (Turkish). By far, Ramstore is the largest store, while Vero, Tinex and Tediko have the most locations.

Ramstore is the newest addition to supermarket shopping here and most welcomed as it widened the variety of available items significantly. Frankly, it rather transformed things a bit. The supermarket came as part of a huge shopping center located near the old train station and is named "Ramstore Mall." In addition to the supermarket the mall has:

• a movie theater (with $4 new-release movies!)
• many coffee-bars
• internet free zone
• bookstore (with amazing cookbooks offered in English)
• name-brand clothing and shoe stores in addition to the regular clothing stores (though the prices are so high I never buy from there---I seriously wonder how the locals do either?)
• food court with a wide offering: Chinese, Mexican, McD's, FingerFood (best burritos and giros in town), Doners, burgers, sandwiches and pizza in addition to ice cream and Stellas (the most amazing dessert place ever)
• Bank and exchange
• Cell phone dealers, watch stores and touristy curio shops
• Artwork by sketch artists, painters
• Florist, jewelry, etc etc. etc.
  

When I first came here in 2000 on a short-term trip, I didn't know about Tinex or Tediko and there was only one Vero (and one McD's, incidentally). Basically it was just a bigger version of the corner markets and didn't offer much difference in selection. Eight years later and there are at least five Vero's around Skopje (and as many McD's) and the selection has widened and grown in variety over the years and competes quite nicely with Ramstore.

Tinex and Tediko fall in between the supermarket and the smaller corner stores and tend to have the best prices. The variety of items available is really good and also has kept getting better over the years. These stores are also great for finding items that are more specific to Macedonian cooking that may not be found in the larger markets. While the supermarkets Vero and Ramstore can be numbered together on one hand, Tediko and Tinex have a number of locations in various places around town.

The really nice thing about stores here in the city is that they're all within walking distance. I really like that--especially compared to the US where I'd have to use the car to go anywhere. It's really nice to be a block away at most from several options, from large to small. My daily shopping for items is done at the little corner market in my building much like this one pictured. These markets are literally everywhere and in them one can find anything from boullion cubes and eggs to TP and batteries.

Trips to the larger markets are made usually 2-3 times a month for other items like: spices, olive oil, cottage cheese, tortillas, brown sugar, lemon juice, frozen food items, shampoo and other toiletries. Sometimes I go just for the convenience of having everything in one place. Trips to Ramstore are also fun with friends. We have lunch or dinner in the food court, watch a movie, window-shop and then head to the supermarket... or any one or combo of the above.

The shopping picture was much different several years ago... Even then, though, the items I missed were more wishes or "treats from home" than actual needs. Honestly, we have it pretty good here in Skopje now-a-days... everything we need is available and within walking distance.