Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona plans to open 11 new stores in Portugal in 2024, as it seeks to boost its presence in the country.
The expansion will push its store count to 60 by year end and mark its entry into two new districts: Guarda and Évora.
Mercadona will open new stores in Guarda, Oliveira de Azeméis, Coimbra (Solum and Eiras), Leiria, Évora, Vila Nova de Gaia (Canelas), Sintra (Rio de Mouro), Maia (Moreira), Seixal (Fernão Ferro) and Barreiro (Lavradio).
Logistics Facility
Additionally, to support its growing network, the retailer is set to open its largest logistics block in the Iberian Peninsula in the second half of 2024, in Almeirim (Santarém).
This will complement its first storage facility in Póvoa de Varzim (Porto), which opened back in 2019.
Since its first Portuguese store opened in Canidelo, Vila Nova de Gaia, in 2019, Mercadona has steadily expanded, initially focusing on the northern region before reaching the Lisbon metropolitan area in 2022. Currently, the chain operates around 49 stores across ten districts.
In addition to supermarkets and logistics units, Mercadona also has two innovation centres (in Matosinhos and Lisbon), which play a crucial role in understanding customer preferences and tailoring products to match the Portuguese shopping basket.
Performance In Portugal Exceeds Expectations
Mercadona’s venture into Portugal has exceeded expectations, according to Inês Santos, director of institutional relations at Mercadona in Portugal.
In an interview for Portuguese daily Jornal Económico, Santos expressed surprise that several of Mercadona’s 49 Portuguese stores rank among the chain’s top performers in sales – a feat achieved in just five years.
She pointed out that this success reflects an investment of €800 million in the country, from 2019 to 2023. A significant portion (€225 million) went towards the Almeirim logistics hub – the largest in its entire network. While investments will decrease in 2024, due to the hub’s completion, expansion continues with the 11 new stores.
