ALTA Retail Buys Idea Markets as Fortenova Exits Serbia
Fortenova Group and ALTA Retail have signed a deal for Idea Markets, Mercator and Roda. The value of the transaction was not disclosed, and the deal still awaits final conditions.
Idea, Mercator and Roda are getting a new owner. Fortenova Group and ALTA Retail d.o.o. signed a sale and purchase agreement on September 18, 2026, for the business shares in Idea Marketi d.o.o., the two companies announced in a joint statement. The retail chain is one of the largest in Serbia and has, until now, belonged to Croatia’s Fortenova Group.
Alongside Idea Markets, the agreement covers four related companies. Enna Fruit Grocka Belgrade supplies fresh fruit and vegetables within the chain. Super Kartica Belgrade runs the customer loyalty program. M-Profil SPV Belgrade manages the real estate the network operates from, and mStart Business Solutions Belgrade provides IT support. Together they make up the operational and technological infrastructure that keeps Idea Markets running, the statement says.
The value of the transaction was not disclosed. The agreement has been signed, but the sale has not formally closed: both companies say the deal will only be completed once the conditions set out in the sale documentation are met, with no deadline specified.
How big is the network changing hands
Idea Markets ranks among the ten largest employers in Serbia. Its retail network covers more than 80 towns and municipalities across the country, and the Idea, Mercator and Roda brands have been on the market for decades. Both sides point to that market presence in their statements as the foundation for the company’s future growth under new ownership, rather than simply an asset changing hands on paper.
Why Fortenova is leaving Serbia
Fabris Perusko, member of the Management Board and Group CEO of Fortenova Group, explained the decision as driven by the need for long-term investment in a market with its own dynamics:
“Fortenova Group’s strategy in retail is to be the leading trader in the markets where it operates. To achieve that goal in Serbia, the Group would have to make significant investments over a long period, in a market with its own specific characteristics and dynamics. That is why we made the decision to exit the retail business in Serbia. This move allows us to further direct our capacities and focus toward strengthening our long-term positions in markets where we already hold a leading position and which are largely tied to the euro as their currency. I want to thank the employees of these companies for their dedicated work, their contribution to Fortenova Group and their commitment to our shared values. The new owner now has the opportunity to take the business to a higher level, and as its partner we wish it every success in doing so.”
Perusko, in other words, tied the exit from Serbia directly to currency: the dinar market, in his words, demands investment that no longer fits Fortenova’s strategy, which is focused on countries whose economies are linked to the euro.
Who is taking over the network
The buyer is ALTA Retail d.o.o., part of the ALTA Group. Republika reports it is the business system of Davor Macura, one of the fastest-growing groups in the region. Branislava Kosovac, director of ALTA Retail, described the acquisition as one of the company’s biggest business achievements on the domestic market:
“This is a key step in the development of ALTA Retail and one of our company’s biggest business achievements on the Serbian market. We are acquiring companies that have enjoyed strong consumer trust for decades, hold strong market positions, and have teams whose knowledge, dedication and professionalism have built respectable results. Besides the investment in the business system, this is above all an investment in people, in development and in the future of domestic trade. Our intention is to open a new chapter of growth through modernization, process improvement and innovation, with full respect for the identity, values and tradition that the Idea, Mercator and Roda brands have built on the market over the years. We firmly believe that domestic capital should drive the development of the largest business systems and the creation of new value for employees, partners, local producers and customers. This transaction confirms our long-term commitment to investing in Serbia, strengthening the domestic economy and building companies with the strength of regional leaders.”
Kosovac framed the deal as an investment in domestic capital as well, not only in the assets and store network of Idea Markets.
What happens next
Closing the transaction depends on meeting the conditions set out in the sale documentation, and the statement gives no deadline for that. Neither side has disclosed the value of the deal, so for now the scale of the transaction can only be measured by the size of the network changing hands: five companies, retail operations in more than 80 towns and municipalities, and a place among the ten largest employers in the country.
