A procedure for the sale of Mercator will be repeated, but the sale of only 60% of shares will be advertised. In addition, the owner of that stake, Pivovarna Lasko, will also be put up for sale.

Slovenia's Finance daily paper learns that Mercator will not be sold to any interested party in this round of the sale of 23.3% of shares.

Therefore, a new round of the sale will be opened and direct competitors such as Croatia's Agrokor, Austria's Bila and Belgium's Delhaize will not be able to participate in it.

Finance learns that Pivovarna Lasko CEO Dusan Zorko will try to agree with creditor banks on the sale of 60% of Mercator, which means that Pivovarna Lasko would like to give up the sale of a 23.3% stake in Mercator in this round and that this stake and the stakes of banks in Mercator be offered for sale in the next round.

According to the other side of the story, Agrokor is still optimistic, especially after a meeting with the creditor banks of Pivovarna Lasko.

Finance reminds that the sale of heavily indebted Pivovarna Lasko was first mentioned last year, as well as that certain potential buyers have already expressed interest.

Among them are CVC Partners and Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest investment funds, as well as strategic partners such as Dutch Heineken.