Mercadona has achieved a significant milestone in its international expansion by reporting profits of 7 million euros in Portugal during 2024. This achievement marks the first year of profitability for the supermarket chain in the Portuguese country, five years after its arrival.
![[Img # 61706]](https://empresaexterior.com/upload/images/03_2025/2845_el-presidente-de-mercadona-juan-roig-posa-con-el-equipo-directivo-durante-el-acto-de-presentacion-de-resultados-de-la-empresa-en-el-centro-de-coinnovacion-en-paterna.jpg)
The company has ambitious plans to double these results by 2025, projecting profits between 14 and 20 million euros.
The president of Mercadona, Juan Roig, expressed his satisfaction during the presentation of the results for the 2024 financial year, stressing that "we are very satisfied and this year, for the first time, Portugal has been profitable." However, Roig also pointed out that there are still challenges, especially with regard to adapting to the portuguese market"What we need is to be more Portuguese," he said, referring to the need to expand the range of local products and strengthen relations with Portuguese suppliers.
"We need more selection from Portugal, for certain products; we need more relations with those in Portugal, but we are working on it. It is very difficult, it is much easier to make the decision to go to Portugal than to become Portuguese, it is a lot of work and we have to improve our selection and our relations with suppliers in Portugal," explained Roig.
One of the key aspects to achieve this adaptation, according to Roig, is the Hiring Portuguese managers who have a thorough knowledge of the local market"There are products that are consumed in the north and not in the centre or the south, and the only way to find out about this consumption is by spending a lot of time in the country and having all the managers be Portuguese," he stressed.
In 2024, Mercadona expanded its presence in Portugal with the opening of eleven new stores, adding a total of 60 since its arrival in 2019.
By 2025, the company plans to open a dozen additional stores, including locations in the LisbonIn addition, Mercadona has launched its Almeirín logistics block, with an investment of 220 million euros, the largest in its logistics network.
With this expansion, Mercadona will have a presence in 12 of the 18 districts of Portugal. Roig insisted that the business in Portugal "is going very well", although he acknowledged that achieving profitability has been a laborious process. This achievement has contributed significantly to the company's overall results.
By 2025, Mercadona plans to invest 200 million euros in opening new stores and acquiring land, with the aim of continuing to expand towards central and southern Portugal in the coming years.
