NEW MERCATOR SUCCESS: Revenues in the first nine months of 2021 1.6 billion euros

Mercator Group has increased revenues in all markets in which it operates. Mercator Serbia’s retail sales grew by 1.6% this year, compared to the same period last year.

In the first nine months of 2021, Mercator Group achieved all key business goals and improved its business results compared to the same period last year. Operating profit amounted to EUR 57.6 million, net profit from the period of operation EUR 12.6 million, and normalized EBITDA was higher by 10.8% compared to the same period last year and amounted to EUR 139.3 million. Mercator Group also further reduced its net financial debt in the observed period.

– After many years, Mercator has managed to reduce the ratio between net financial debt and normalized EBITDA below five times, which proves that strategic decisions give the right results. Financially sound and business-successful Mercator is not only in the interest of the company, employees and owners, but also the entire chain from producers to the food industry in Slovenia and the region. Mercator will continue the digital transformation of its business and insist on providing modern, personalized services and offers to customers. As Mercator Group is part of the Forten Group, we can continue with strategic investments, especially in the new logistics and distribution center in Ljubljana and the renovation of the sales network – he said Tomislav Čizmić, President of the Management Board of Mercator.

Photo: Nemanja Maras

Sales revenues increased by almost 1% in the observed period and amounted to EUR 1.6 billion, with the Group also recording a similar growth in retail revenues as core business. Comparisons with 2019 (pre-corona period) also confirm that the Mercator Group operated successfully, as sales revenues in the period from January to September 2021 increased by 2.9% compared to the same period before the declaration of the COVID epidemic. -19 (period from January to September 2019). The largest increase in sales revenue was recorded in retail trade. The company Poslovni sistem Mercator dd operated successfully in the first nine months of 2021, achieving EUR 34.4 million in operating profit (EBIT), which is an increase of EUR 4.2 million compared to the comparable period last year.

In the first nine months of this year, Mercator Group invested EUR 20.9 million in fixed assets, most of which was for the renovation of the sales network.

Business in the period of the first nine months of 2021 was marked by the COVID-19 epidemic, which required the adoption of additional measures, continuous adjustment to the real situation and the consequences of individual measures taken by the Government and other competent authorities. Successful business depended mainly on the rapid adjustment of business and the commitment of employees in the Mercator Group.