Food retailer to roll out new Tienda 9 store model that significantly expands fresh produce and ready-to-eat offer
Food retailer Mercadona says it will allocate more space to fresh produce as part of a planned €3.7bn investment in its new store model, known as Tienda 9 (Store 9), across Spain and Portugal.
Announcing the move, the group said its aim was to achieve “a clearer layout and a faster, simpler shopping experience for the customer” over the coming years, as it modernised its supermarket network and created a “more productive, efficient and sustainable” model.
The new project, which has already been trialled in the town of Xirivella, in Valencia, will also enable the retailer to place a much stronger emphasis on fresh food and ready-to-eat products.
“At Mercadona, we understand improvement as a continuous process. We analyse our supermarket model to identify opportunities that allow us to move forward and adapt to new needs,” the company said.
“Store 9 represents the evolution of our store. A new model that transforms internal organisation, improves the shopping experience and strengthens productivity and operational efficiency.”
A key part of the new model is what the group calls the Central Workshop, an area of the store which combines preparation areas previously distributed across different parts of each store.
“In this environment, cutting, cooking and packaging processes are centralised,” it explained. “This centralisation improves operational control, increases efficiency and strengthens quality and freshness standards.”
Mercadona also announced earlier this week that it had increased its consolidated sales by 8 per cent in 2025, with revenues reaching €41.9bn.
