Mercator (retail)

Mercator d.d.

Type	Public
Industry	Retail
Founded	1949
Headquarters	Ljubljana, Slovenia
Key people	Žiga Debeljak, President of Management Board
Revenue	2.730 billion USD (2006)
Employees	23,620 (2011)
Website	www.mercator.si

Mercator is a Slovenian retail chain based in Ljubljana. The company was founded in 1949 under the name Živila Ljubljana, but four years later it was renamed and given its current name. Today, Mercator is the biggest Slovenian and southeastern retail chain,^[1] operating hypermarkets, supermarkets and grocery stores in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Albania.

Until the end of the 1990s, the company operated only in Slovenia, but then it started to spread on other markets by opening new hypermarkets in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. In 2002, Mercator also opened its first hypermarket in Serbia. Its primary market remains the home market in Slovenia, where the company currently operates 17 hypermarkets, but in early to mid-2000s they opened several new hypermarkets in Croatia and the company currently operates 5 hypermarkets in the country. There are also two Mercator's supermarkets in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as one in Serbia. Apart from operating hypermarkets, the company also operates a total of more than 1,000 small grocery stores and supermarkets in aforementioned countries. Their future plans are to spread on the markets outside the territories of the former Yugoslavia and become one of the largest supermarket chains in Southeastern Europe.

Apart from selling products of renowned national and international companies, Mercator also operates its own brand of various food, drink and household products that are sold at discount prices in their supermarkets and groceries.

In 2006, Mercator Took over Serbian company M-Rodić, d.o.o.

In autumn of 2010, Mercator took over Croatian retail chain company Getro, witch is the sixth biggest retail chain on Croatian territories.

In the beginning of March 2011, Mercator showd interests to take over Konzum, the biggest retail chain in Croatia witch is in propety of Agrokor, and is allso the leader by market share in Serbia and Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Marketshare (2005)

• Slovenia - 48,9%
• Serbia - 11% (Together with M-Rodić, d.o.o., which is owned 76% by Mercator)
• Bosnia and Hercegovina - 5%
• Croatia - 4%

International operations

As of 2009^[update], Mercator has operations in the countries listed below.

• Slovenia
• Serbia
• Croatia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Montenegro
• Bulgaria
• Albania

Croatia

The first Mercator store was opened in Pula in 2000. The company now has 11 hypermarkets, 26 supermarkets and 36 other stores.^[2]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The first Mercator store was opened in Sarajevo, in 2000. The company now has 9 hypermarkets and 8 supermarkets.^[3]

Serbia

Mercator Center in Novi Beograd

The first Mercator store was opened in Belgrade, in 2002. The company now has 3 shopping centers with hypermarkets in:

• Belgrade
• Novi Sad
• Niš

In addition, the company owns and operates many smaller stores around Serbia under the Roda brand.

Montenegro

Mercator entered Montenegro's market by 2007 acquisition of 50% stake in domestic MEX retail chain. The chain named Mercator-MEX has 5 stores in:

• Podgorica (x3)
• Nikšić
• Bar

Bulgaria

Mercator is planning to open 7 new shopping centers in Bulgaria in the next two years.^[4] The first one was opened in Stara Zagora in October 2009.

Albania

The first Mercator store in Albania was opened in Tirana, in December 2009.^[5]

References

1. ^ Cerni, Boris (May 7, 2009). "Mercator First-Quarter Profit Declines on Recession (Update1)". Bloomberg L.P. (bloomberg.com). http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=awWZ4yMQETkw. Retrieved 2009-06-29. 
2. ^ "Prodajna mesta". Mercator. http://www.mercator.hr/prodajna_mjesta. Retrieved 2009-06-29. 
3. ^ "Mercator prodavnice". Mercator. http://www.mercator.ba/prodajna_mjesta/mercator_prodavnice. Retrieved 2009-06-29. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Lipnik, Karel (June 6, 2009). "Mercator se za prodor v Bolgarijo pogaja z Grki". Finance.si. http://www.finance.si/250072/Mercator_se_za_prodor_v_Bolgarijo_pogaja_z_Grki. Retrieved 2009-06-29. 
5. ^ Vizion Plus (December 16, 2009). ""Mercator" edhe ne Shqipëri". vizionplus.tv. http://www.vizionplus.tv/new_web/Lajm.aspx?31160. Retrieved 2009-12-16. 

External links

• Mercator
• Mercator Croatia
• Mercator Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Mercator Serbia
• Mercator Macedonia
• Mercator Bulgaria
• Mercator Albania