Retailing in Bosnia and Herzegovina remained affected by the political and economic situation in 2021, according to an analysis by Euromonitor International.
However, modern grocery retailers continued to gain market share from traditional grocery retailers by offering larger retail spaces, loyalty schemes, more competitive prices, and frequent discounts and offers.
Market leaders Bingo (with more than 200 outlets) and Konzum (which opened 11 stores last year) continued to expand their networks.
Smaller players – like Robot, Tropic, Fructa Trade and Yimor – were also particularly active, especially in areas not covered by other retailers.
In order to further connect and strengthen synergies in the retail arm of Fortenova Grupa, since 1 September 2021, Konzum and Mercator have had the same management board.
Discount Retailers
Discount chains are set to intensify the competition in the coming period, as the segment has thus far been somewhat underserved by existing players.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Lidl is considering potential locations in the country, as it aims to commence its activities by the end of 2022, or in 2023.
Russian player Torgservis, which owns the Mere retail brand, also announced its intention to enter the local market.
A rising number of supermarkets and hypermarkets are set to launch their own e-commerce websites, the study noted.
For this reason, Konzum established a partnership with Glovo last year and this trend of e-commerce development and growth is set to continue and accelerate in the coming period.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
