The move is part of the group’s wider restructuring and portfolio changes, as it focuses on reshaping its business operations and financial position.
The transaction covers Idea marketi, which operates the IDEA, Roda and Mercator retail brands, as well as four related companies: Enna Fruit, a fruit and vegetable supplier; Super Kartica, a loyalty programme operator; M-Profil SPV, a real estate company; and mStart Business Solutions, which provides IT services. The retail network spans more than 80 cities and towns across Serbia, making the acquisition a significant change in the country’s grocery market.
Fortenova said its decision to withdraw from Serbian retail reflects its strategy of concentrating on markets where it can maintain leading positions and make long-term investments. ALTA Retail, meanwhile, said it intends to develop the acquired businesses through modernisation, improved processes and innovation, while preserving the established identities of the IDEA, Roda and Mercator brands.
The completed transaction marks a new chapter for Serbia’s grocery retail sector, transferring a major retail network and several supporting businesses from a regional group headquartered in Croatia to a Serbian-owned company. Its longer-term impact will depend on how ALTA Retail manages the businesses, invests in their development and responds to competition in the domestic market.
