The summer that would save Agrokor from decay may never come

Washington

THE annual invasion of tourists was supposed to offer a financial reprieve for the biggest retailer in scenic Croatia. Instead, this summer is shaping up as another source of grief in Agrokor's spiralling crisis, which has threatened economies across the Balkans.

Agrokor needs the millions of foreigners who flock to Croatian resorts each year to spend money at its Konzum grocery stores, the group's biggest source of cash. Yet, even locals are abandoning the outlets, taking their business to competitors like Lidl, which in the past decade has built itself into a major force in the former Yugoslav country.

"I used to shop at Konzum, but now I find Lidl products to be better and cheaper," said Nebojsa Kovacevic, a plumber, before jumping on his Suzuki motorcycle and zipping toward the Lidl on t…