Retailer Mercator Takes Out EUR 40m Loan for Investments Abroad
Ljubljana, 21 September
Slovenia's largest retailer Mercator signed last Friday a long-term EUR 40m loan agreement with the International Financial Corporation (IFC) for financing its ongoing investments in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the company said on Thursday.
Mercator's investment plans mainly include expanding its activities in the two countries with the aim of becoming the leading retailer in the states of SE Europe, the company's management added. Dimitris Tsitsiragos, IFC's director of the global portfolio department, said that Mercator is using the best international business practice in retail and IFC wishes to support its plans to expand in SE Europe. Mercator CEO Ziga Debeljak meanwhile said that the IFC loan will increase the investment activities of Mercator abroad and have a positive impact on Mercator's growth.