Page 90 - bne IntelliNews Southeastern Europe Outlook 2025

Month on month, the net wage increased by 7.6% in October in nominal and in real terms.
Statistics office data also showed that Montenegro's retail sales measured at constant prices went up by an annual 6.9% in the third quarter of 2024, accelerating from the 5.5% y/y rise in the previous quarter.
Measured at current prices, retail trade expanded 8.4% y/y in the third quarter after expanding by 9.7% y/y in the second quarter.
All sectors posted growth in the third quarter. Trade in food products grew by 7.4% y/y in Q3, while trade in other non-food products rose by 10.2% y/y. Sales of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals increased 9.3% y/y, while trade in motor fuels moved up by 1.1% y/y. On a quarterly comparison basis, retail sales went up 21.8% at current prices and by 21.2% at constant prices in Q3.
Among the international investors in Montenegro’s retail sector, Israel-based BIG Shopping Centers plans to invest €40mn to expand in Montenegro, the government in Podgorica said in February 2024.
Plans include upgrading the BIG Fashion shopping center in Podgorica with 17,000 square metres of additional retail space. After meeting with BIG representatives, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic confirmed the company’s readiness to begin projects in Niksic and Radanovici, near the Adriatic-Ionian motorway.
In August, Spatial Planning Minister Slaven Radunovic announced the approval of documentations that will pave the way for the opening of Lidl’s first Montenegrin store in Bijelo Polje. Although Lidl registered its Montenegrin unit in 2021, it has yet to open in the country.
5.7.2 Banks
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Montenegro’s systemwide financial stability indicators appear healthy amid ample liquidity. The banking sector’s capital adequacy, liquidity and profitability
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