North Macedonian Discounter Stokomak Expands To Serbia

The company, known for its limited selection of around 1,200 quality products at low prices, offers both well-known brands and its own private-label items at a 50% discount.

Beyond groceries, Stokomak also carries a variety of non-food items like textiles, kitchen appliances, furniture, sports and summer equipment, glass products, garden items, and toys.

Stokomak invested €5 million to open its first Serbian location with a retail area of 600 square metres. The company’s Serbian headquarters are located in the city of Niš.

A Familiar Banner

Consumers in Pirot are already familiar with the Stokomak brand, thanks to their previous visits to the supermarkets over the border in Kumanovo, where they often shopped for high-quality products at low prices.

In a statement, the company stated that its presence in Serbia ‘increases the competitiveness of the market, which is in the interest of consumers.’

This Pirot location marks the beginning of Stokomak’s expansion into Serbia, with plans to open 10 more stores by the end of 2025.

The discount retailer is planning to open stores in cities like Niš, Paraćin, Leskovac, and Pančevo. It is also actively negotiating additional locations throughout Serbia.

Established in 1997, Stokomak currently operates 77 stores in North Macedonia and is currently one of the largest players on the local retail market.

Other Players Eyeing Serbia

Besides Stokomak, other foreign retail chains are allegedly eyeing Serbia’s market to launch local operations.

In recent months there have been reports in the Serbian press of interest by Italy’s Eurospin, France’s Carrefour, Hungary’s Family Market, Russia’s Fix Price, and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tropic.

The Serbian large-scale retail market is currently dominated by three foreign players – Delhaize Serbia (with the Maxi, MegaMaxi, Shop & Go banners), Mercator-S (Idea, Roda, Mercator), and Lidl Serbia.