SKOPJE (Macedonia), December 14 (SeeNews) – Slovenia's largest food retailer Mercator plans to build its first shopping centre in the Macedonian capital of Skopje for an undisclosed sum and to expand further in the Balkan country next year, Macedonian daily Utrinski Vesnik reported on Monday.
The company has overcome administrative hurdles and is eyeing a land plot of 50,000 square meters in the Skopje region of Karpos to build a shopping centre, Utrinski (www.utrinski.com.mk) quoted the director of Mercator Makedonija DOOEL, Jordan Minov, as saying.
Minov said that Mercator needs several months to obtain a construction permit to start construction works in Skopje and also plans to build shopping centres in the Macedonian cities of Bitola, Tetovo, Ohrid, Strumica and Kumanovo.
Besides Macedonia, Mercator’s expansion agenda includes Albania as well.
Mercator said earlier it plans to invest at home and abroad 220 million to 260 million euro ($322million-$381 million) yearly by 2012.
Outside Slovenia, Mercator (www.mercator.si) is present in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia.
($=0.6823 euro)