Roda and Mercator stores and a total of five companies owned by the Fortenova Group from Croatia are going High retail firms from Belgrade, announced the Commission for the Protection of Competition of North Macedonia, reports N1. The information actually comes indirectly from North Macedonia, given that the Alta Group is present in that country as well.
According to the Macedonian Antimonopoly Commission, Alta retail is a newly founded company established for the purpose of conducting the transaction (so-called SPV - special purpose vehicle) "and until the date of submission of the request, it does not have any business activities, but exclusively serves the needs of the transaction".
Alta retail is registered as a holding company, and the request to the Macedonian Antimonopoly Commission was submitted on April 16, 2026.
Idea Market - until mid-May 2025, better known as Mercator S - includes Roda, Mercator and Idea stores. They employ 7.752 workers, according to the final accounts for 2025, published in the Agency for Economic Registers.
Loss
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) is 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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What do the Alta Group and the Forten Group have in North Macedonia?
Given that the Alta Group is present in North Macedonia, it was expected that Alta retail would report to the local Commission for the Protection of Competition about the planned takeover of five companies.
It can be assumed that he sent the same notice to other antimonopoly commissions in the countries where he operates, including Serbia, with the fact that, unlike other commissions, the Macedonian one is the most up-to-date and transparent when it comes to publishing notices.
In 2025, Alta banka bought Stopanska banka from North Macedonia and thus became the first Serbian bank in the territory of this country.
"Alta Bank's vision is to be a driver of regional integration, a financial partner that connects markets, accelerates investments and creates a platform for long-term economic development," said Una Sikimić, president of the bank's Executive Board.
As it is added, the purchase was realized with the participation of Komercijalna banka ad Skoplje, an authorized broker representing Alta banka in that procedure.
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Source: N1/Vreme
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