Slovenia’s retail market is undergoing a quiet transformation marked by two opposing currents.
Domestic players Mercator and Tuš are closing underperforming stores, particularly in smaller towns, while international names like Spar, Lidl, and Croatia’s Studenac are rapidly filling the void.
Mercator has shuttered nearly a hundred mixed-goods stores over the past 18 months and plans to close over 40 more, citing unprofitability and overlapping locations.
Tuš, long rumoured to be up for sale, has also scaled back, especially among its franchises, and now grapples with a staffing crisis.
Meanwhile, Spar is seizing the moment, taking over some Tuš locations and growing its franchise network.
Lidl and Hofer, Slovenia’s main discount chains, continue to expand steadily, unaffected by recruitment issues.
Studenac, once a regional grocer in Croatia, is making its mark in rural Slovenia, replacing vanishing village shops and reinforcing a striking new trend: the retreat of the local, and the rise of the foreign.
