Mercadona shops in Spain 2010-2018

The Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona saw a significant increase in its number of stores over the last few years. The chain grew from 1.3 thousand in 2010 to over 1.6 thousand shops in 2018, which represents an increase of more than three hundred stores during the period considered. The number of supermarkets in Spain increased in recent years and stood at over 22 thousand shops in 2017.

Mercadona: the indisputable leader in the supermarket scene

Mercadona was the leading supermarket chain in Spain in 2018, with nearly one quarter of the country’s market share. Carrefour held 8.5 percent of this share, ranking the French multinational retailer second on the list. The Spanish DIA Group followed third, taking up 7.5 percent of the market share in the Mediterranean country.

Larger workforce, but not always on permanent contracts

Just like the number of stores, Mercadona’s headcount experienced a considerable boost in recent years. The supermarket chain had approximately 71.3 thousand professionals working at its shops and premises across the country in 2012, although the figures gradually increased and stood at 89.5 thousand employees in 2018. Even though the number of permanent employees in their staff dwindled slightly, in 2018 more than 95 of the professionals working at Mercadona did so on a permanent contract, with contractors taking up only 4.5 percent of the chain’s workforce.