Meeting with suppliers: Mercator in BiH market in August?

Two meetings were held at the Administrative Building of Konzum BiH in Sarajevo between representatives of Konzum BiH, Mercator Business System, and Konzum suppliers. Tomislav Bagić, Director of Konzum BiH, Tomislav Primorac, Director of Trading at Konzum BiH, Tomislav Čizmić, President of the Management Board of Mercator Business System, Igor Maroša, Assistant to the President of the Management Board of Mercator for Strategic Projects, and representatives of more than 60 suppliers attended the meeting.

These two meetings were held with the aim of continuing open dialogue, and the topics of the meeting were primarily the presentation of the plan for the reintroduction of Mercator to the BiH market by the Mercator Management.

A new concept for future retail operations in BiH was presented at the meetings, which envisages the reintroduction of the Mercator brand to the BiH market. It was emphasized that this is still a proposal, as a formal decision on its implementation is expected.

At this stage, the potential for the successful return of Mercator to the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina is certainly recognized, based on the high positive value of this brand. The strength of the Mercator brand is built on the basis of previous positive experiences with Mercator's overall operations in BiH, successful cooperation with suppliers, and the experience of employees with Mercator as a responsible employer, as well as on the basis of the modern and quality retail concept that Mercator is developing.

It is important to emphasize that this concept envisages taking over all obligations of Konzum BiH from suppliers, as well as taking over and caring for all employees of Konzum BiH. The return of Mercator brings additional business stability and job security, as well as timely and responsible settlement of all obligations towards both suppliers and state institutions.

All further necessary decisions aimed at implementing this concept will have high business priority. The potential reintroduction of the Mercator brand to the BiH market will be guided primarily by the interests of customers in BiH, local and regional suppliers, banks, employees, and the state, all with the aim of retaining jobs, responsibly settling obligations, and successful long-term cooperation with suppliers, which will also enable the retail business in the BiH market to continue to develop successfully.

- Today, we presented the most likely option for the future business plan, through the return of Mercator to the BiH market, which includes the continuation of cooperation with all existing suppliers, and the timely settlement of obligations towards them. The previous good business experiences of Mercator in BiH are a good foundation for continuing even more successful cooperation - stated Tomislav Čizmić, President of the Management Board of Mercator.

Tomislav Bagić, Director of Konzum BiH, once again emphasized to all present that all business processes at Konzum BiH are proceeding regularly, and stated:

- At today's meetings, we continued with open dialogue with our suppliers, and they were presented with the plan and concrete steps that will be taken to return the Mercator brand to the BiH market. The implementation of the presented measures will ensure the fulfillment of obligations to all suppliers. Konzum BiH and Velpro BIH cooperate with more than 1200 suppliers, and at the meetings held today, we received great support from the present suppliers.

Adin Fakić, director of the company Milkos from Sarajevo, emphasized that the most important thing for suppliers is when Konzum switches to operating within Mercator.

- What is important, and what was said at the meeting, is that Mercator will take over all the obligations of Konzum and Velpro, which represents security for us suppliers for the continuation of continuous business - Fakić pointed out.

Neven Hadžisulejmanović, director of Nelt, a company that is one of Konzum's suppliers, stated:

- We were presented at the meeting that in August, Konzum's operations will switch to the Mercator brand, which gives us suppliers security for further business, and we will arrange all the details of further cooperation at direct bilateral meetings that will follow soon - Hadžisulejmanović believes.

With the same goal of open and transparent dialogue, a third meeting with suppliers will be held tomorrow in Banja Luka, and in addition to the aforementioned representatives of Konzum BiH and Mercator Business System, it will also be attended by Predrag Gluhaković, Minister of Trade of the Government of Republika Srpska, Dragica Ristić, President of the Chamber of Commerce of RS, and Goran Račić, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Banja Luka, and more than 30 suppliers from RS.