Serbian supermarkets come to aid of poor

The unions plan to open more than 100 social supermarkets in Serbia this year

By Helen Fawkes
BBC News, Belgrade

They had been queuing from the early hours of the morning, but there was no feeling of excitement outside this eagerly awaited new shop in Belgrade.

The faces of the 50 or so shoppers looked weary and resigned.

One elderly woman had brought a fold-up wooden chair to wait for the opening of the latest in a chain of social stores in the Serbian capital.

The shops are called SOS Markets, but they have been dubbed "supermarkets for the poor".

They are the result of an initiative by the Association of Independent Trade Unions in Serbia which is designed to help people cope with the global economic downturn.

Special card

The social stores offer cut-price goods to Serbs who are suffering financial hardship.

Some of the discounts are up to 70% compared to the prices charged in other supermarkets, with many goods half the usual cost.

Helen Fawkes takes a trolley through the aisles to see what is on offer.

"The government prepared a social programme to deal with economic crisis in Serbia, but it was not enough and that is the reason the union devised this project," says Nebojsa Rajkovic, the general secretary of the Association of Independent Trade Unions.

Some of the cheapest goods at the SOS Markets are staple items like bread, milk and potatoes.

What makes these places different to other supermarkets is that there are few recognisable big brand names - many of the products are made in Serbia or processed by Serbian companies.

To shop here you need a special card which is issued by the social supermarkets.

Those who qualify include people who are unemployed or on pensions or wages of less than 200 euros (£180) a month.

To prevent anyone abusing the system, the amount of goods that can be bought on each shopping trip is limited. For example, you can not buy more than three bottles of cooking oil at a time.

Most people in Serbia are finding things difficult financially. We only have maybe five or 10% of the population who don't have financial problems Nebojsa Rajkovic, Association of Independent Trade Unions Serbia seeks IMF emergency loan

Wandering along the aisles of the newly opened SOS Market, which is located in a residential area of Belgrade, is 26-year-old Milica Marjanovic.

"My mother, my sister and I are unemployed. We don't get any social benefits," she says.

"There are a lot of unemployed people in Serbia, life is hard for a lot of people and they can hardly manage."

"Many families don't even have what is basic for living. So, these shops are welcome," she adds, before filling her red plastic basket full of shopping.

Expansion plans

Even without the economic downturn, this former Yugoslav republic was already one of the poorer countries in Europe. But now the situation has got much worse.

Some of the cheapest goods at the markets are staple items like bread

Since November, 10,000 people a month have registered as unemployed, according to the National Employment Service of Serbia.

The government says that around half a million people live below the poverty line.

"Many people have lost their jobs and the main problem is that the middle class is now poor. That is the real problem," says Mr Rajkovic.

"Most people in Serbia are finding things difficult financially. We only have maybe five or 10% of the population who don't have financial problems."

So far, three SOS Markets have opened in Belgrade; another three will start operating in the next few weeks.

The project is being helped by the Serbian trade company, Jabuka, which runs its own shops in the capital.

The trade union association says there has been a huge response from local authorities across the country.

It plans to work with other local supplies and food producers to open more than 100 social supermarkets in Serbia by the end of the year.