Banja Luka’s Tržnica market has been a place of encounters, trade and conversation for decades, and its everyday life continues to be shaped by a diverse range of goods, loyal customers and the many stories of vendors and shoppers.
For many vendors, the market is not merely a workplace, but a place where they have spent years, met countless people and built relationships that have lasted for decades. Vojo Vučenović, who sells souvenirs and various other products, told Glas Srpske that he is satisfied with his work and always tries to find something positive in everything.
“I’m always satisfied. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m healthy, young, with good prospects ahead of me. The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day, wonderful. You have to stay positive,” he said with a smile.
According to Vučenović, summer is a particularly interesting period for vendors because people from the diaspora return, bringing more visitors to the market.
However, a special part of his everyday life at Tržnica is the group of people with whom he has shared his workplace for years. He has known one of his fellow vendors, whose stall is directly opposite his, since high school.
“We’ve known each other for 30 years. We work together for up to ten hours a day, so we spend more time with each other than with our own families,” he said.
Vučenović stressed that his relationship with customers is also important to him, describing his approach to work as cheerful and relaxed.
“I love joking around, I’m positive, never gloomy. Even when it rains, I’m cheerful,” Vučenović said.
He believes much depends on the perspective from which people choose to view life.
“If we fill two glasses halfway, an optimist will say the glass is half full, while a pessimist will say it is half empty. It’s the same in life. You have to be an optimist and never give up,” Vučenović said.
He sums up his attitude toward life and work with a sentence he says he likes to remember: “Better a hut full of laughter than a palace full of tears.”
One vendor who has worked at the market for 25 years said the largest number of customers usually comes ahead of holidays and during the summer vacation period.
His stall offers, among other things, sportswear.
“This summer there was also the World Cup, so there was a lot of sports equipment and clothing for children. Prices vary and are not too high because our customers are generally middle-class people who have difficulty making ends meet on their salaries,” the vendor explained.
Another vendor said customer habits have changed in recent years, but sellers are doing their best to keep their businesses going.
“Business has been somewhat slower since the coronavirus pandemic, and the arrival of Temu has also had an impact. All of that affects sales, but we are fighting and doing our best to survive,” said the vendor, who has been in the business for more than two decades.
Her stall offers underwear, socks, pajamas and undershirts, and she noted that prices are adjusted to suit customers with different budgets.
“Prices range from five, 12 and 15 marks to 25, 35 marks and more. We have all kinds of customers, but most often it is older customers who have been accustomed to shopping here for years,” she said.
Although she has noticed that people’s purchasing power is weaker than it used to be, she said she is particularly pleased that longtime customers continue to return.
“I’ve known many of my customers for years. Those who are still here continue to come, buy something, chat for a while, and that is how we maintain those relationships. Every customer and every purchase matters to us,” she said.
Another longtime vendor said his stall offers various mobile phone accessories, including cases, chargers and other equipment.
“The prices are reasonable, and as far as customers are concerned, things are generally the same. There haven’t been any major changes. We see the most customers during the summer, but also during the day when the weather is nice and people come to the market to browse and take a walk,” he said.
A diverse range of products
Banja Luka’s Tržnica is one of the oldest companies in Republika Srpska and will mark its 100th anniversary next year. Over nearly a century, its appearance and way of doing business have changed, but it has remained a meeting place for vendors and customers.
Today, Tržnica offers everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, locally produced goods, meat, fish and flowers to clothing, footwear, souvenirs and a wide range of consumer goods. Cookware, household items, textiles and various other products are also available.
Yet what makes this place truly distinctive are its people — longtime vendors, some of whom have worked here for decades, and loyal customers who have been returning to the same stalls year after year.
Source: Glas Srpske
