Prodavnice

Prodavnice are retail establishments where consumers purchase goods for personal use. They range from small neighborhood shops to large supermarkets and hypermarkets. The term is used across several South Slavic languages, including Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin, and is written as prodavnica in singular and prodavnice in plural (Cyrillic: продавница/продавнице). The etymology traces to the verb prodati, meaning to sell, with the suffix -avnica indicating a place.

In regional usage, prodavnice generally correspond to what English speakers call a shop or store, though translations such as trgovina can have broader meanings, including markets and shopping centers. In Slovenian, common terms for a shop include trgovina or prodajalna, and Macedonian uses продавница as well; Bulgarian and other neighboring languages have related terms for retail outlets.

Types of prodavnice include convenience stores and corner shops, small family-owned shops, supermarkets (often self-service), hypermarkets, department stores, and specialized shops such as bakeries, butcher shops, or greengrocers. Modern prodavnice frequently operate with integrated supply chains, point-of-sale systems, inventory management, and, in many cases, e-commerce components. They face competition from online retailers and discount chains in several markets.

Regulation of prodavnice typically covers business licensing, consumer protection, sanitation, labor laws, and taxation (including value-added tax). They play a central role in urban and rural retail, contributing to employment and local economies while providing access to food, household goods, and various services.