Mercator's debts, closing and selling the offices.

In December 2025, the real estate company FNG Property SI, owned by the Forten group which holds the ownership of Mercator, sold a commercial building located on Dunajska cesta in Ljubljana, where the company’s headquarters is also situated. The property was purchased by a company controlled by Mih Ažman for 13.5 million euros. At the time, financial reports indicated that the reason for the sale was a reduction in the number of employees, leading to a decreased need for large spaces. Although the largest Slovenian retailer did not officially state the reasons behind such a decision, the move marked a significant shift in its operations. In March of this year, the company announced a tender for the sale of 25 properties. By July, the number had increased to 50. These properties primarily consist of former business premises in various Slovenian cities and towns that are no longer operational. Among them are locations in Ljubljana, Kranj, Nova Mestna, Celje, Velenje, Maribor, Nova Gorica, Kopře, Radenci, Rogaske Slatine, Bela Krajina, Bovč, Portorož, and other areas. The starting prices range from around 100,000 to nearly four million euros, with one notable example being the former store in the business building on Nov trg in Ljubljana. This space, according to data from GURS, measures 1,675.4 square meters, alongside approximately 2,000 square meters of open parking area. The former Mercator store is located in the basement of the business building on Nov trg in Nova Mestna. In Ljubljana, Mercator is selling another former store in the business building WTC for 1.4 million euros, along with previous stores on Pribinova, Povšetova, and Litostrojska streets. In Maribor, they are selling a former store measuring 980.2 square meters on Kraigherjeva 5 for 1.8 million euros. Another property, a former store in the business building on Kidričeva 13 in Rogaske Slatine, spanning 2,629.75 square meters, is being sold for 2.79 million euros. Several journalistic inquiries were directed towards the trader, including how many stores have been closed since 2024 and how many have been reopened, how many have been sold, and what the total value of these stores is. There was also interest in understanding how the proceeds will be used, whether they will be invested in renovating existing stores, and how successful the current tenders have been, as well as whether the company plans to continue selling properties in the future. Additionally, there was curiosity about how many employees have lost their jobs due to the closure of stores. Mercator's response was somewhat vague. They explained that all properties have been transferred to specialized companies. Last October, Mercator established two new entities, FNG Hospitality SI and FNG Property SI, to which it transferred its properties, real estate activities, ownership, and management of real estate. “The sales are exclusively of unnecessary commercial properties. Funds obtained from the sales have been intended for debt repayment,” they stated. Regarding employment, they confirmed that no employee has lost their job due to the sale of properties. “As for the remaining questions, they relate to business information that we do not disclose or comment on before publishing business reports,” they added.