Todorić removes Slovenian products from Konzum shelves in BiH

A year after the sale of Mercator to Agrokor, Slovenian suppliers claim their fears have come true. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, only a few Slovenian products remain on the shelves, reported RTV Slovenia, according to the Patria News Agency.

"The sale of the largest retailer is a great opportunity for Slovenian suppliers," says Mercator Management Board member Igor Maroša.

Maroša claims that more Slovenian products are sold on Konzum's shelves in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina than a year ago.

"In the first quarter, in Agrokor's stores, the number of Slovenian products increased by more than 300 compared to last year," said Maroša.

To verify this, a TV Slovenia crew went with a hidden camera to the largest former Mercator center in Banja Luka, which has been part of Konzum since last year. They found only a few Slovenian products on the shelves, and even those are produced by companies owned by foreign entities.

Besides suppliers, the Slovenian Minister of Economy, Zdravko Počivalšek, also anticipated problems after the sale. According to him, the sale of Mercator and Žito is detrimental to the country.

"Both sales are problematic. Both companies have their own production and supply chains, which is why we will have many problems saving our own production," he said.