Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona opened its first stores in Portugal at the start of July, with the retailer seeking to challenge the dominance of local retailers Sonae and Jerónimo Martins.
The two established players, present through banners such as Continente and Pingo Doce, respecitvely, together account for 54% to 58% of the market.
The first four Mercadona stores were opened in the district of Porto (Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar) during July, with six more planned by the end of 2019 (in the districts of Porto, Braga and Aveiro).