Mercadona expands lead in Spanish supermarket market

In November, Mercadona has increased its lead in the Spanish supermarket market to a market share of 27.3%, 0.6 percentage points more than a year earlier. Lidl made gains, while Carrefour lost ground. The market is optimistic about the end of the year.

Lidl continues to grow

The market leader recorded the strongest growth of all chains. This is due to a broader reach: 92.6% of Spanish consumers made at least one purchase at Mercadona in the past year, according to ESM.

Lidl achieved a market share of 6.9% in November, an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Its customer reach continues to grow: two-thirds of Spanish people (66%) visited a Lidl store at least once in the past year. The discounter plans to open around 100 additional stores in the next two years, on top of the more than 700 it already has in Spain.

Carrefour under pressure

Carrefour, the number two in Spain in terms of sales, recorded a 9% market share in November, 0.8 percentage points less than a year earlier. Despite opening a hundred new stores in the past year, its reach declined: 61% of consumers made a purchase there in the past twelve months.

Eroski held on to 4.2% in November, while DIA slightly increased its share to 3.8% after completing its restructuring. Grupo IFA accounts for 9.9% of the Spanish food market and includes Ahorramís, Alimerka, Condis, Uvesco, and Dinosol.

Expectations for the year

Sentiment remains largely positive. A recent survey indicates that most FMCG companies expect to end the year better than 2024, supported by domestic demand and stable consumption patterns.