Mercadona’s suckling pig and fries are “made in the district of Coimbra”. Brand purchases from 1,000 Portuguese suppliers

Mercadona, a supermarket company, continues to grow in Portugal and reinforce, year after year, the volume of purchases from national suppliers and its focus on the Portuguese primary sector, having increased by 49% in 2023 compared to 2022. In that same year, the company, which already has 49 stores nationwide, purchased around 1,178 million euros from 1,000 commercial and service suppliers, a value that will increase in 2024 with the opening of 11 more supermarkets in Portugal, reaching two new districts: Guarda, on May 16th, and Évora, in October.

Mercadona’s purchases from Portuguese commercial and service suppliers have been increasing progressively since 2019, when the company opened its first stores. Since then, Mercadona has gone from an investment of 217 million euros to the current 1,178 million euros.

With the aim of offering the freshest and highest quality products to “Chefs” (customers), Mercadona remains faithful to its commitment to developing a Sustainable Agrifood Chain, investing in the Portuguese primary sector and developing stable, committed and long-term relationships with its suppliers, allowing sustainable growth for all links in the chain.

From fish bought daily at national auctions, to 100% Portuguese olive oil or Rocha do Oeste pears, the company seeks out the best specialist suppliers, from North to South to the islands, promoting export and showcasing the best that is produced. in Portugal. This commitment has proven to be not only a driver of economic and social development, but also, and above all, a commitment to differentiation.

Pedro Barraco, director of Mercadona’s Agro-Food Chain, says that “from north to south of Portugal it is possible to find a vast diversity of products, from Rocha pears from the West to dairy products from the Azores. At Mercadona we work every day to make it possible to find, in all sections, a varied assortment that allows the “Boss” to take home a quality, Portuguese-style shopping cart. This focus on national production allows for greater freshness in our products and, over these almost five years in Portugal, we have had the opportunity to work with excellent suppliers, very motivated and willing to grow with us.”

Every day fresh products arrive at supermarkets from different areas of the country and, also for this reason, the company is constantly rethinking the entire assembly chain and its processes, how they can be more efficient, how to transport more with less and make joint improvement work with suppliers, which allows for growth and mutual gain. The company plans to end the year with 60 stores in Portugal and be present in 12 districts.

In the district of Coimbra, where the company already has a supermarket located in Figueira da Foz, and where it will open two more throughout this year (Solum and Eiras, in Coimbra)collaborates with Matisilva, located in Condeixa-a-Nova, which supplies roast suckling pig to Mercadona and with S&A Aperitivos, in Montemor-o-Velho, a specialist in French fries.

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