{"id":237804,"date":"2026-07-11T12:55:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T12:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/bernardo-rodilla-retail-expert-mercadona-now-competes-not-only-with-carrefour-but-also-with-the-corner-restaurant-and-mcdonalds\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T12:55:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T12:55:55","slug":"bernardo-rodilla-retail-expert-mercadona-now-competes-not-only-with-carrefour-but-also-with-the-corner-restaurant-and-mcdonalds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/bernardo-rodilla-retail-expert-mercadona-now-competes-not-only-with-carrefour-but-also-with-the-corner-restaurant-and-mcdonalds\/","title":{"rendered":"Bernardo Rodilla, Retail Expert: “Mercadona Now Competes Not Only with Carrefour, but Also with the Corner Restaurant and McDonald’s”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

If you visit the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) website, you can find the definition of a \u201csupermarket\u201d<\/a>, which describes it simply as a store where one fills their basket with food and household items before heading to the checkout. However, this traditional understanding of supermarkets is becoming increasingly outdated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Supermarkets: Evolving Competition<\/h2>\n

Supermarkets have evolved beyond being just vendors of groceries; they now aspire to be our primary destination for food. This transformation means they are not merely competing with one another but are also vying for market share against local eateries and international fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King.<\/p>\n

Bernardo Rodilla, Retail Business Director at Worldpanel by Numerator<\/a>, remarked, “Mercadona no longer competes only with Carrefour; it is also competing with the restaurant on the corner and McDonald’s. Everyone fights for the same need<\/strong> and it’s getting closer.”<\/p>\n

A Share of Nearly 20%<\/h2>\n

Rodilla\u2019s insights hold significance due to his expertise in the field and the influential statistics produced by Worldpanel. Recent reports illustrate a remarkable reality: Mercadona has surpassed both Carrefour and Lidl in market share, commanding nearly 20% of the value<\/a> in food and beverage consumption.<\/p>\n

This statistic implies that Mercadona is selling more food, in value terms, than traditional hospitality businesses, which only account for about 11.2% of the market share from bars, caf\u00e9s, and terraces, while independent restaurants claim just 8.6%. Mercadona\u2019s 19.7% market share dwarfs competitors like Carrefour (6%) and Lidl (5.1%).<\/p>\n

Redefining Market Analysis<\/h2>\n

The clear shift in the marketplace is prompting analysts to rethink traditional metrics. Rodilla emphasizes, “We increasingly need to view market shares across the total food landscape. We can no longer differentiate between food for eating at home or out<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

This adaptation is essential, especially with the rising popularity of supermarkets’ prepared food sections, which includes Mercadona’s ‘Ready to Eat’ initiative launched in 2018. This venture offers customers ready-prepared meals that can be enjoyed on the spot or taken home, reflecting a shift towards convenience.<\/p>\n

The Influence of ‘Ready to Eat’<\/h2>\n

The ‘Ready to Eat’ trend is not just a Spanish phenomenon; it has international traction as consumers prefer spending minimal time cooking. Rodilla forecasts ongoing expansion in this service area, aligning with a broader trend in food consumption. Other retailers, like Carrefour, are also tapping into prepared meal offerings, coining the term ‘mercaurantes’ for supermarkets with culinary counters.<\/p>\n

Local restaurateurs are expressing concern over what they perceive as unfair competition<\/strong>, signaling how supermarket strategies are reshaping the dining landscape.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead: The Future of Cooking<\/h2>\n

Supermarkets are not merely selling food; they are also marketing time savings. This strategy could indeed make traditional home kitchens obsolete. Rodilla raises a thought-provoking question: \u201cIf that happens, what role will supermarkets play?\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggests that while the future may not lead to a dystopian cooking landscape, our relationship with cooking may transform from a chore into an enjoyable activity.<\/p>\n

The Rise of Regional Supermarkets<\/h2>\n

Beyond the trends of prepared foods, Rodilla identifies a few additional clear phenomena in food distribution: the expansion of Mercadona, the success of private labels, and the resilience of regional supermarkets. For instance, regional chains like Froiz, Masymas, and Consum are thriving, with market shares projected around 18%.<\/p>\n

Rodilla points out that this recognition of local chains stems from their commitment to fresh products and proximity to customers, making them the new heirs of traditional butchers and fruit shops.<\/p>\n

This evolution in the food retailing landscape reflects changing consumer behaviors and preferences, indicating a shift towards organized distribution as the preferred shopping experience.<\/p>\n

Images | Worldpanel by Numerator, Wikipedia 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>, and Carrefour<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you visit the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) website, you can find the definition of a \u201csupermarket\u201d, which describes it simply as a store where one fills their basket with food and household items before heading to the checkout. However, this traditional understanding of supermarkets is becoming increasingly outdated. Supermarkets: Evolving Competition Supermarkets have evolved […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[38181,37248,26171,3925,2041,1909,37333,815,8449,55132],"class_list":["post-237804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-bernardo","tag-carrefour","tag-competes","tag-corner","tag-expert","tag-mcdonalds","tag-mercadona","tag-restaurant","tag-retail","tag-rodilla"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":237806,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237804\/revisions\/237806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}