Mercadona is a private, family-owned supermarket chain that operates thousands of grocery stores in Spain and Portugal. It focuses on everyday value for customers, using a Total Quality model and a policy of Always Low Prices to run a streamlined, highly efficient business. Its products and stores are organized around strong logistics, private-label goods, and minimal promotions, with checkout implemented using barcode scanning to speed up service. Unlike many rivals, Mercadona reinvests most profits back into the business, maintaining private ownership and continuous store modernization while expanding internationally. The company’s goal is to keep the customer—the “Boss”—at the center of every decision, sustain leadership in Spanish retail, and grow its footprint in Portugal and beyond.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Tavernes Blanques, Spain
Founded
1981
See people who can refer or advise you
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Mercadona overhauls packaging labels, refines existing products. Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona has launched a comprehensive redesign of its product labelling, to make it clearer, more legible, and easier to consult. The Iberian retailer has introduced larger print, better-organised information, standardised nutrition tables, portion values, and more intuitive preparation instructions across its private-label products and ranges. The updates reflect direct customer feedback and help shoppers quickly find and understand key product details on store shelves. Key design changes. The key design changes being rolled out across Mercadona's packaging include larger font sizes, clear section headers, and restructured content layouts, to improve legibility. The formatting has been homogenised across all product lines, to allow an easier side-by-side comparison between items. The nutritional table is presented in a more homogeneous way, making the different values easier to locate and compare. Supplementary columns have been introduced, detailing nutritional content per recommended portion, alongside standard per-100g/ml figures. As cooking options have changed - e.g. oven, microwave, air fryer - Mercadona now highlights preparation methods with intuitive icons and images, helping consumers quickly identify cooking options and follow instructions easily. The label lists ingredients in order of their highest to lowest quantity. The first ingredient is the one with the greatest presence in the recipe, and, from there, the others appear in descending order. Consumers can quickly consult data to evaluate fibre, protein, sugar, saturated fats and salt content before purchasing. Additionally, the packaging highlights allergens, so consumers can identify them quickly. Refining existing products. Besides upgrading its packaging, Mercadona is also refining its existing products. The retailer has introduced pre-sliced olives packaged without liquid, allowing customers to enjoy them instantly, without extra prep. To meet the demand for quick, home-style rice meals, Mercadona has developed cooked rice in microwave-safe metal trays. The retailer has also rolled out single-serve packaging for puff pastry, keeping remaining portions fresh and making them easy to snack on the go. Also, by adding user-friendly peel-off lids for canned goods, Mercadona has made meal prep safer and more convenient.
Mercadona's trial checkout rule could mean lifting everything, including heavy items, onto the belt. By Adam Woodward - Published: 18 Sep 2026 - 17:27 - 3 minutes read Mercadona is testing a new checkout system in Spain that could leave shoppers with a bit of weight-lifting before they can pay for their groceries. Customers at one trial store are being told to take everything out of their trolley and put it on the checkout conveyor belt, no matter how big, including heavy items that would normally stay in the trolley while the cashier scans them. For shoppers buying several packs of bottled water, boxes of milk, large pet food sacks or other bulky goods, that could mean considerably more lifting at the till. Why is Mercadona changing its checkout system? Mercadona confirmed that it is testing the new procedure at its supermarket in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, after a customer complained about being asked to remove six-bottle packs of sparkling water and large water containers from her trolley. Normally, when shoppers have several identical heavy products, a cashier can scan one item and enter the number being purchased. That means customers do not have to lift every heavy pack onto the belt. Under the trial system, however, products that are still in the trolley have to be taken out and placed on the conveyor for scanning. Mercadona says the idea is to allow the cashier to check that the trolley has been completely emptied and to make sure everything has been correctly charged and that there are no sneaky packs of ham under the milk cartons. That may sound like a small change, but it could make a difference to anyone doing a large weekly shop. What happens with heavy and bulky supermarket items? A trolley is designed to make carrying heavy shopping easier. A shopper can put a large sack of dog food, a pack of six water bottles or several cartons of milk into the bottom and push the whole lot around the supermarket. Moving those items onto a checkout belt is a different matter. A six-pack of large water bottles can weigh several kilograms, while bigger water containers and large bags of pet food can be awkward as well as heavy. Anyone buying several of them could suddenly find themselves lifting the same items twice, first onto the conveyor and then back into the trolley or bags after payment. Mercadona has not published a weight limit for the conveyor belts as part of its announcement, so there is no evidence that all the belts are unsuitable for these products. There is also no indication from the company that heavy products are falling from the belts. The practical question for shoppers is simply whether bulky items can be placed safely and comfortably on the conveyor without rolling, sliding or knocking into other shopping. What if you cannot lift the shopping? Mercadona appears to have considered that problem. Customers who find it difficult to empty their trolley themselves can ask the checkout worker for help, according to information given by the company about the trial. That could be essential for older shoppers or anyone who struggles with heavy lifting. It also means customers should not assume that being unable to lift a large bag of pet food or a pack of water means they have to leave it in the trolley. Staff can help with the unloading process. Is this new Mercadona rule coming everywhere? Not yet. Mercadona has described the system as a trial, and the company has not announced that it will be introduced across all its Spanish supermarkets. The San Martin de Valdeiglesias store is the location specifically identified in the reports about the experiment. For British expats in Spain, that means there is no need to start lifting every heavy purchase onto the conveyor at their local Mercadona unless their particular store tells them to do so. Considering the latest fashion in many branches of Mercadona these days is post-exercise gym wear, perhaps the management thinks all customers are ready for some weight-lifting at the till. For now, however, the message is fairly simple: if your Mercadona asks you to empty the trolley completely, even the heavy stuff has to come out, but staff can help if you cannot manage it yourself.
Mercadona accelerates supermarket transformation with new "Tienda 9" model. 28th August 2026 Mercadona is moving at remarkable speed in reshaping the supermarket experience, with Spain's leading grocery retailer bringing its new "Tienda 9" concept to Madrid and Bilbao as part of a €3.7 billion transformation programme. The latest openings underline how quickly European grocery retail is evolving, with retailers increasingly redesigning stores around efficiency, fresh food, technology and a simpler customer journey. The two new stores represent a combined investment of around €11.1 million, with the Madrid supermarket in Chamberí accounting for €9.2 million. The Madrid opening has created 28 new jobs within a total workforce of 48 employees. Mercadona plans to have approximately 60 Tienda 9 supermarkets operating across Spain by the end of 2026. This is only the beginning: the retailer intends to progressively convert its existing network, with the full transformation programme running through to 2033 and involving around €3.7 billion of investment. A supermarket designed around processes. The Tienda 9 represents a significant change from Mercadona's previous Tienda 8 format. Rather than simply arranging the supermarket around traditional departments, the new concept reorganises operations around processes. One of the most important features is the Obrador Central, which brings together preparation activities for fresh food, including cutting, cooking and packaging. By concentrating these activities in one area, Mercadona can free up additional space on the shop floor for fresh products and make the customer-facing areas easier to navigate. Fresh food is clearly becoming a central part of the new supermarket strategy. The layout gives greater prominence to fruit and vegetables, prepared foods and other fresh categories, reflecting a broader European grocery trend in which supermarkets are competing not simply on price but on freshness, convenience and the quality of the shopping experience. Technology and efficiency built into the store. The new format also demonstrates how supermarket technology is moving beyond the checkout. Mercadona is introducing electronic devices and collaborative tools designed to support employees, improve decision-making and make store operations more efficient. Energy efficiency is another important element. The new stores use CO[2] refrigeration, while refrigeration cabinets incorporate systems designed to reduce the loss of cold air into the shopping aisles. Mercadona says the redesigned processes can deliver savings of up to 10% in energy consumption and up to 40% in water consumption. The company is also upgrading technical rooms and equipment, suggesting that the Tienda 9 is not simply a cosmetic refurbishment but a fundamental redesign of the supermarket's operating model. Mercadona is moving faster than much of European grocery retail. What makes Mercadona particularly interesting is the speed and scale of the rollout. Across Europe, supermarkets are experimenting with new formats, automation, digital tools, fresh-food concepts and more efficient refrigeration. Mercadona, however, is taking a highly structured approach: test the format, refine the operating model and then roll it across a huge store estate. The company had already begun introducing Tienda 9 in locations including Valdemoro and Astorga, while the latest Madrid and Bilbao openings bring the concept into two major Spanish cities. For the European grocery industry, this is an important development. The supermarket of the future is increasingly being designed as an integrated operating system, rather than simply a building filled with shelves. Store layout, refrigeration, fresh-food preparation, employee productivity, energy consumption and the customer journey are being redesigned together. Mercadona's €3.7 billion commitment shows just how seriously the retailer views this transformation. If the Tienda 9 programme delivers the productivity and customer benefits expected by the company, it could become one of the most significant supermarket-format transformations currently taking place in Europe. For European grocery retailers watching the next generation of supermarkets, Mercadona is certainly one of the companies to watch.
Mercadona opens its first "Tienda 9" in Madrid's Chamberí district: 9.2 million in investment and a supermarket organized in a different way. Mercadona's new format has finally arrived in central Madrid. It eliminates in-person service counters and prioritizes prepared foods. August 27, 2026 Mercadona has opened its first "Tienda 9" in the capital's Chamberí neighborhood. This is a new supermarket layout model that changes the usual layout of its stores and eliminates the fish and meat counters. The store is located at 7 Joaquín María López Street, and this renovation has required an investment of 9.2 million euros from the Valencian company. The opening comes after Mercadona launched the first "Tienda 9" in the Community of Madrid in Valdemoro. The opening is part of the nationwide transformation that the chain will roll out progressively between 2026 and 2033. The company expects to end this year with nearly 60 supermarkets of this type in Spain, as part of a comprehensive plan valued at 3.7 billion euros. What is a Tienda 9? The Tienda 9 model reorganizes the supermarket to make shopping faster and, as the company explains, to emphasize fresh products. The company is moving away from the traditional layout by sections and is arranging part of the space according to operational processes and the storage requirements of each food item. The most noticeable change for customers is in the fresh food sections. Mercadona is committed to gradually reducing traditional counters with in-person service and expanding its selection of pre-prepared, pre-cut, or pre-packaged products that are ready to go. The store also features a centralized food preparation area, a model through which the chain aims to improve the efficiency of food preparation. Hours and parking. The new Mercadona in Chamberí is open Monday through Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It will also offer an online shopping service through the company's website. Discover recommended experiences Although it is located in the heart of the Chamberí district, the supermarket has a parking lot with 37 spaces. Four are reserved for electric vehicles and another eight for bicycles - an infrastructure designed to make shopping easier for those coming from other parts of the city.
Avis aux frontaliers: Mercadona ouvre un nouveau supermarché dans cette ville et vos achats en Espagne vont changer. For many cross-border commuters, shopping in Spain has become a way of life. The convenience of picking up groceries or household necessities just a short drive away has always held appeal. Recently, the announcement of a new Mercadona supermarket opening in a nearby city has stirred excitement among these shoppers. This development is set to change the game for frontaliers, creating both new opportunities and fresh considerations for their shopping habits. What to expect from the new Mercadona. Mercadona, Spain's leading supermarket chain, has a reputation for quality and affordability, which makes it a favorite among consumers. The new store promises to deliver the same high standards that have made Mercadona a household name. From fresh produce to a diverse selection of local and international products, the supermarket is expected to cater to a wide range of preferences and needs. For the frontaliers, this means easier access to a variety of products that may not be as readily available in their home country. With the growing popularity of Mediterranean cuisine, the influx of Spanish goods could encourage culinary adventures at home, introducing flavors that were previously hard to find. The impact on local shopping habits. As the new Mercadona opens its doors, it's likely to attract a significant number of shoppers, not just from Spain but also from neighboring countries. Many frontaliers might find themselves making more frequent trips to the store, drawn by competitive pricing and the chance to purchase quality goods. However, this could have implications for local businesses in their home areas as consumer habits shift. Local supermarkets may need to adapt to this new competition. They might consider expanding their range, offering better prices, or providing unique local products to retain their customer base. The situation presents a challenge, yet it also opens up opportunities for collaboration and innovation among local retailers. Cross-Border shopping: A changing landscape. Shopping across borders is not a new phenomenon, but factors such as convenience, price differences, and product availability shape the experience for many. Frontaliers often capitalize on the benefits of shopping in Spain, where prices for certain goods can be noticeably lower than those in their home country. This dynamic is expected to intensify with the new Mercadona, further influencing shopping patterns. Consider the example of grocery shopping. A commuter who might typically visit their local supermarket for basic necessities may now find it more appealing to make a trip to Mercadona for specific items. This not only affects consumer choices but also encourages them to plan their shopping more strategically, grouping errands to maximize their time and savings. Adapting to new shopping norms. With the introduction of the new store, frontaliers will likely need to adapt to new shopping habits. This could involve learning about the store's layout, understanding the product offerings, and even adjusting their schedules to accommodate visits. For many, this is an exciting prospect; however, it also adds a layer of complexity to their routine. Moreover, the need for effective navigation in cross-border shopping is essential. As more shoppers flock to Mercadona, familiarizing oneself with local traffic patterns, store hours, and popular shopping times can help avoid the pitfalls of crowded aisles and lengthy checkout lines. Potential challenges ahead. While the opening of a new supermarket brings excitement, it also poses challenges. Frontaliers might face logistical issues such as border wait times, especially during peak hours or holiday seasons. The allure of shopping in Spain could also lead to congestion at the border, which may affect travel plans and daily commutes. Additionally, it's worth considering how this shift impacts the environment. Increased traffic from shoppers crossing borders could contribute to pollution and road wear. With this in mind, it's essential for local governments and communities to find ways to manage the impact of this influx sustainably. Community engagement and local economy. The arrival of Mercadona could also lead to increased community engagement. Local businesses may need to rethink their strategies, possibly forming partnerships with the new supermarket or collaborating on community events. This could foster a sense of unity among businesses, helping them to compete while preserving the unique character of the local economy. Consumers benefit from diversity in shopping options, as it encourages healthy competition and keeps prices in check. A balanced approach that supports both local businesses and new entrants like Mercadona can create a vibrant shopping landscape that serves everyone's interests. Looking ahead: A new era of shopping. The opening of the new Mercadona marks the beginning of a new chapter for frontaliers. As shoppers adapt to these changes, the focus will be on finding a balance between convenience and supporting local economies. The excitement surrounding this new supermarket offers a glimpse into the future of cross-border shopping, where consumers can enjoy the best of both worlds. For those interested in the influence of online reviews on shopping habits, you might find it beneficial to read about Notes Google Maps sur les restaurants: alerte aux faux avis si vous repérez cet indice, soyez vigilants!. This article highlights the importance of discerning quality while shopping, both online and in-store. As the dust settles on this new development, it will be intriguing to see how shopping behaviors evolve. Will local businesses adapt quickly enough to retain their customer base, or will the allure of Mercadona prove too strong? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the shopping landscape for frontaliers is set to change significantly. As you navigate this new environment, remember that it's always beneficial to stay informed and engaged with your community. Keeping an eye on local trends and shopping options will ensure you make the most of your experiences, whether in Spain or at home. Content Creator I'm William, the owner of this blog, where I share practical insights and real-world tips related to this topic.