Mercator started 61 years ago as a Slovenian FMCG retailer. Today Mercator Group operates in seven markets in southeast Europe and has a long tradition in its core business – retail and wholesale of fast-moving consumer goods, as well as apparel, sportswear, hardware and electronics. It operates everything from large hypermarkets of more than 10,000sq m to supermarkets, convenience stores and small shops down to 100sq m, depending on the relative characteristics and needs of each local market, even on micro-location level. Currently Mercator operates more than 1,400 shops, has more than 23,000 employees, and expects revenues of €2.8bn for 2010. Mercator Group started to plan as early as in mid-2008 its response to the changes in economic conditions brought about by the global financial and economic crisis, by devising two sets of measures: measures for adjusting its offer to consumers and measures for business rationalisation. In 2009 the company added another set of measures aimed at increasing business flexibility, in which framework it commenced and completed the reorganisation of the entire Mercator Group, with the goal of increasing the focus and efficiency of operations, enabling improved responsiveness to local customer demands, and adjusting the organisation to the growing complexity of international operations. Pursuing its strategy, Mercator Group will conduct activities within their two fundamental programmes, i.e. fast-moving consumer goods and home products. In addition, non-core activities that include retail of sportswear through the Intersport licence, textiles, and manufacturing will continue. As well as being one of the largest retailers […]

Tucked away along the eastern Mediterranean coastline, nestled at the crossroads of three continents, Syria has steadily covered ground on its ambitious development journey. Over the last decade or so, economic reforms have begun to pay dividends and the country has demonstrated that it can nurture natural growth, relying less on its dwindling oil revenues and more on the actual substance of an economy that was far behind on its own people’s needs. Economic initiatives were implemented that carved out enclaves of liberalisation and created room for private sector development after decades of central planning and stagnation. In the early stages, there were very few Syrian institutional players and the majority of businesses were more casual operations than structured corporations. For the most part, families created informal structures that performed the functions of whatever business endeavour was at hand and morphed effortlessly depending on the requirements of the economic landscape. Within such a molten framework, it is quite the challenge to both adapt to a changing legal environment as well as to understand how to best capture the opportunities presented by a country’s liberalisation process.  By actively pursuing new ventures as the supporting regulatory foundations are laid, local companies facilitate the very development process such new laws aim to achieve; different sectors and industries begin to evolve and grow as they are targeted by reforms from one end and brought to life by actual brick and mortar businesses from the other. The Khwanda Group has thrived in this respect, consistently […]

Ferreyros is a Peruvian company founded in 1922 and has been a Caterpillar dealer in Peru since 1942, being today the leading distributor of capital goods in the country. It serves key economic sectors such as mining and construction, and along with the country, has grown significantly in recent years, tripling its size in revenues in the last four years to show revenues of $1bn in 2010. During 2010 Ferreyros acquired the Caterpillar dealerships in Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize after receiving an invitation from Caterpillar to service its brand in new territory. In the last few years the corporation’s activities have been related to the development of important mining, construction and hydroelectric projects. It employs more than 4,000 people, including Ferreyros and its subsidiaries in Peru and subsidiaries in Central America, all of them linked to the capital goods business, which consists not only of selling machinery but also providing value added services to its customers. After registering its stocks in the Lima Stock Exchange (BVL) in 1971, the shareholders decided to attract new investors committed to the company’s future and growth. Therefore the company changed its nature, going from a family owned company to a public company. Today there are more than 1,500 shareholders. In 1994 Ferreyros decided that the capital market should become one of its key funding sources and placed its first issuance of corporate bonds for $5m with a two year maturity. Today, after 25 years it has placed more than $250m in corporate bonds. […]

Baiduri means ‘emerald,’ the green precious stone that has been much admired and loved by many throughout history. Associated with grandeur, faithfulness and friendship, the stone has had a history as far back as 3000 BC, when they were the established gemstones in India, Egypt and Rome. It is no wonder, therefore, that the founders of Baiduri Bank felt an affinity with the stone which symbolises the Bank’s mission to provide innovative and comprehensive financial products and services to the Brunei community. Established in 1994, Baiduri Bank is a member of the Baiduri Bank Group, one of the largest providers of financial products and services in Brunei Darussalam. Baiduri Finance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Baiduri Bank which came into existence in 1996, has already captured a significant part of the automobile finance business; it is now the country’s leading automobile finance company. The bank’s shareholders include Baiduri Holdings, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Brunei Technical Services and BNP Paribas. With a strong combination of local commitment and global expertise, the group is acknowledged as one of the leading banks in the country, with a track record of financial innovations and pioneering services. Its core business includes banking services to institutions and corporations, retail banking, consumer financing and wealth management. Wide choice in product and deliveryBaiduri Bank’s payment card business has the largest card member and merchant base in the country. It is the first and only bank in Brunei to hold franchise to four major card brands, namely American Express, Visa, […]

When global crises bring financial strife to the doors of once-renowned institutions, investors look for a sure place to protect their assets. PKO Bank Polski – the leader of the Polish banking market and a rising star of European finance – can be considered a safe haven for such investors’ money. For more than 90 years it has been the symbol of the Polish banking sector, and its widely recognised brand is valued by specialists at over $1bn. It has the highest asset value in the Polish banking sector, and constant initiatives to maintain good customer relationships and persistent upgrades to product quality help the bank maintain its leading position. As a result its financial results have systematically improved: net profit in 2010 exceeded $1bn, and despite continuing volatility this is expected to grow in 2011. “Our excellent financial results are the foundation for stable business development,” says Zbigniew Jagiełło, President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski. “We systematically increase our market share in all main market segments. Total focus on customer needs along with constant modernisation are the main sources of our business success.” The bank is also making very efficient use of its equity. This is accompanied by increasing employment efficiency – measured by the level of profit, liabilities and receivables per employee – and improving cost-effectiveness. The current market strength of the bank has been built for many decades, since its founding in 1919. Its brand prestige has grown thanks to generations of effectively handling […]