Mercator completes strategic merger with Coka

Slovenia's Mercator market chain has completed the strategic merger with Serbia's Coka group.

An agreement on the strategic merger, which was signed in August 2010, became effective on Tuesday. On the basis of that agreement, the company Mercator-S took over the trade activities of the companies within Coka group in the market of Serbia, Mercator announced.

The business system Coka comprises Mladost packaging plant in Odzaci and trade companies Coka and Dunav in Smederavo, Inex Velepromet in Velika Plana, Mlava in Petrovac na Mlavi, and Nova Trgovina in Petrovac.

With the strategic merger, Mercator-S has won a long-term lease of 22 markets in the Danube region, spanning a total retail surface of 12,000 square meters, Mercator announced via the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.

Thanks to this merger, Mercator has strengthened its position of the second largest trade company in the market of Serbia and continued the implementation of the growth strategy, with the aim of becoming one of the largest sellers of consumer products in the region of Southwest Europe.