Fortenova Group retailers Mercator and Konzum reduce workforce by 2,000

Mercator and Konzum, both owned by the Croatian Fortenova Group, have significantly reduced their workforce by approximately 2,000 employees over the past year due to business reorganization.

In Slovenia, Mercator saw its employee count drop by 13.7 percent, from 7,276 to 6,276. This reduction is partly attributed to the closure of retail locations, including the M Tehnika segment which previously employed 439 people. Mercator's retail units decreased from 450 to 412, and its wholesale units fell from 13 to nine. Consequently, Mercator lost its position as the largest retailer in Slovenia to Spar.

In Croatia, Konzum experienced a similar trend. Data indicates a reduction of approximately 940 to 1,000 employees, representing a decrease of roughly 9.26 percent. These changes reflect broader structural shifts within the two major regional retail chains.