June 29 (SeeNews) - Croatian ailing food-to-retail concern Agrokor said on Thursday the return of its Slovenian retail unit Mercator to Bosnia's market depends on whether the difficulties which its peer Konzum has with local suppliers are resolved.
Agrokor receiver Ante Ramljak, Mercator CEO Tomislav Cizmic and Konzum Bosnia managing director Tomislav Bagic met on Thursday in Sarajevo with representatives of more than a hundred Konzum suppliers in the country to try and settle strained relationships, the concern said in a statement.
In May, the receiver of Agrokor said the concern will put its Ljubljana-based unit Mercator in charge of its retail operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, replacing its peer Konzum, in order to improve the concern's long-term position in the country.
Following the meeting, Ramljak pleaded for support from suppliers in Bosnia, adding that the future of the concern's business in the country rests on this relationship.
"In order to position Konzum’s business in Bosnia on healthy foundations that will allow it to withstand the test of time and provide business sustainability even after the extraordinary administration process in Agrokor is completed, at this moment we need the highest levels of cooperation and support from our suppliers," Ramljak said.
He also said that meetings with individual Konzum suppliers in Bosnia will be held in the upcoming days.
"After today’s meeting I believe that an agreement on lasting cooperation will be reached which is in the best interest of both sides, but also in the best interest of all Konzum’s employees and other partners," Ramljak stated.
CEO of Mercator said that the retailer has reached stability on all markets and is now focused on returning to Bosnia.
"A recent Bosnian market research showed that Mercator is still a strong brand," Cizmic stated. "It is our wish to use these comparative advantages and return Mercator to the Bosnia and Herzegovina market."
Agrokor employs over 5,000 people in Bosnia, mostly in Konzum.
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