Dragstor Robnih kuća Beograd

Region

Serbia

Associated With

Robne kuće Beograd - operator and launcher

Defining Feature

Round-the-clock shopping in an underground passage beneath central Belgrade

Status

Discontinued - the original integrated 24-hour operation ended, while the underground site and Dragstor property name remain in retail use.

Overview

Dragstor opened beneath central Belgrade in 1970, bringing round-the-clock shopping to the city.

Robne kuće Beograd opened it on 4 December in the underground passage by the Terazije Tunnel. Food, household and electrical goods sat alongside vending machines, a bakery and roast chicken.

The original integrated 24-hour format later disappeared. A conventional supermarket opened at the refurbished site in 2010, while the Dragstor name remains attached to retail property there.

Why It Mattered

Dragstor made late-night shopping practical in a city where most shops had already closed. Shift workers, musicians, actors and people leaving performances or parties also used it as an overnight meeting point.

Its combination of uninterrupted trading, varied departments, prepared food and vending machines made it a visible symbol of changing retail habits in 1970s Yugoslavia.

Opening Beneath Central Belgrade

• Dragstor opened on 4 December 1970 in the underground pedestrian passage adjoining the Terazije Tunnel.
• The passage ran between Nušićeva and the street then called Ulica Moše Pijade, now Dečanska.
• Its opening coincided with the wider inauguration of the tunnel and associated transport infrastructure.
• Company director Čedomir Jelenić represented Robne kuće Beograd at the opening.

Inside the All-Night Store

• The store traded continuously through the day and night.
• Its departments included food and drink, household chemicals, perfumery and electrical goods.
• Vending machines, a bakery and a roast-chicken counter formed part of the operation.
• A remembered record shop stood across the passage rather than inside Dragstor.

Decline and Later Use

• The integrated format declined as Robne kuće Beograd experienced severe economic disruption in the early 1990s.
• The exact date on which continuous operation finally ended is not known.
• A conventional Familija supermarket opened in refurbished premises at the site in April 2010.
• Robne kuće Beograd still lists Dragstor at Dečanska bb and separate retail units at Nušićev prolaz, level -1.

Gallery