| 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), however Mercator was bought buy Agrokor in late 2011 for 832 million [euro]s a fraction of what Mercator originally was worth, but due to massive debt Marcator shareholders agreed to sell majority steak of 50.2% to Agrokor for 832 million euros, but considering that Mercator owes another 1.2 billion euros to creditors, this deal would end up largest acquisition b Agrokor in history of the company which without Mercator is valued at 4.2 billion euros. A combined firm value is estimated at 7.1 billion euros.
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As of 2009[update], Mercator has operations in the countries listed below.
The first Mercator store was opened in Pula in 2000. The company now has 11 hypermarkets, 26 supermarkets and 36 other stores.[2]
The first Mercator store was opened in Sarajevo, in 2000. The company now has 9 hypermarkets and 8 supermarkets.[3]
The first Mercator store was opened in Belgrade, in 2002. The company now has 3 shopping centers with hypermarkets in:
In addition, the company owns and operates many smaller stores around Serbia under the Roda brand.
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:
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.
The first Mercator store in Albania was opened in Tirana, in December 2009.[5]