The Croatian company "Fortenova grupa" sold Idea markets to Davor Macura's company "ALTA Retail", and before that "Diamant" to the MK group. From the announcement of the Croatian company, one can see why they left Serbia
Now it's official - the Croatian conglomerate Fortenova has left Serbia.
In mid-September ALTA Retail, Davor Macura's company, bought the business of Idea markets, which include Mercator and Roda. It has been known for months that it is being prepared and it has been prepared for a long time. Idea Marketi is one of the largest retail chains in Serbia and ranks among the ten largest employers in the country.
The departure of the Croatian company from Idea market followed a year later ideas of Aleksandar Vučić to introduce a limit on trade margins in large chain stores. During that period, the general director in Serbia also left the company, and the company made unprecedented losses.
Before that, in June, Croats sold Dijamant, the largest producer of edible oils and margarine, to the company MK Group, which was founded and led for a long time by Miodrag Kostić. This company was also mentioned in the media as a potential buyer of Idea Market, but the stores were bought by Matsura.
The reasons for the departure can be glimpsed from Fortenova's announcement.
"Fortenova Group's strategy in retail is to be the leading retailer in the markets where it operates. In order to achieve that goal in Serbia, the Group would have to make significant investments over a long period of time, in a market that has its own specifics and dynamics. That is why we made the decision to exit the retail business in Serbia," the announcement states.
This move, they add, will enable the company to further direct its capacities and focus on the long-term strengthening of its positions in the markets where it already has a leadership position and which are mostly linked to the euro as a currency.
Davora Macure's Alta Group, on the other hand, after a huge deal with state-owned enterprises, megalomaniacal contract with EPS and Parking service, continues to implement new ambitious plans for the expansion of business to the most diverse areas. In addition to this Croatian company in Serbia, there are plenty of banks and insurance companies in the region as well.
The Croatian firm sold four more companies to Alta. These are Enna Fruit Grocka Belgrade, Super Kartica Belgrade, M-Profil SPV Belgrade and mStart Business Solutions Belgrade.
Enna Fruit has significant market influence as one of the leading distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables in Serbia, while Super Kartica, M-Profil and mStart provide key business support through loyalty programs, real estate management and IT services.
Together with mStart, Super Kartica and M-Profile, these companies form the complete infrastructure and technological-logistical support for the system.
In the last year, Idea markets recorded a huge increase in net loss, by as much as 968 percent - Idea markets ended the year 2024 with a net loss of 3,2 million euros, and in 2025 they recorded a net loss of as much as 34,54 million euros. The business income of this company fell by 14 percent, from EUR 910,9 million to EUR 779,9 million.
The company Idea Marketi (former Mercator S) was a member of the "Fortenova Group" and one of the largest retail chains in Serbia. According to data from the company's website, the sales network covers more than 80 cities and towns in Serbia and includes "more than 300 Idea stores, 33 Roda markets and 2 Mercator hypermarkets."
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