Spanish retail giant Mercadona has said that it plans to open between eight and 10 stores in Portugal in the second half of 2019, in what will amount to a €100 million investment.
It was initially stated that Mercadona would open four stores, however this announcement indicates that the retailer's entry into the country will be more pronounced than previously anticipated.
The stores will all be located in the districts of Porto, Braga and Aveiro, and will lead to the creation of 300 jobs, according to the retailer.
Making A Move
Mercadona initially announced its intention to enter Portugal back in 2016.
Since then, it has sought to establish a distinct Portuguese identity for itself, with the creation of a separate company, Irmãdona Supermercados SA, to operate its Portugal arm.
It has also established a Co-Investment Centre, in Matosinhos, to help better understand the needs of the Portuguese customers, and is developing a logistics operation at Póvoa de Varzim, to serve its Portuguese stores.
"Portugal is a great opportunity to start the international growth of the company, and we are very excited about the decision [to enter the country]," commented Mercadona president Juan Roig.
In March, Mercadona reported a 6% increase in sales in full-year 2017.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
