In the first call for binding bids for Merkur trgovina, which expired on 16 January, the asking price was set at EUR 28.55m, but no bids had been received.

Merkur trgovina was established in November 2014 as it broke away from hardware retailer Merkur and took over the retail business of the now bankrupt company.

The deadline for binding bids in the new call is 20 April, with receiver Simona Goriup looking for a buyer for all 11,368,274 shares of Merkur trgovina owned by Merkur.

Last year, the interest in the biggest hardware retailer in Slovenia was expressed by the Croatian retail chain Pevec, which however failed to produce a binding bid.

In the past two years, Merkur trgovina underwent a financial restructuring and is operating with a profit, a part of which is distributed among employees.

Merkur trgovina is leasing Merkur hardware retail centres, of which 13 are owned by HETA Asset Resolution, the internal bad bank of the Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

HETA had published a public call for the expression of interest in Merkur shopping centres in Slovenia, with the deadline expiring today.