A supermarket of Mercadona chain. (Photo: Er nun wieder/CC BY-SA 3.0)
SPAINWednesday, February 11, 2015, 01:50 (GMT + 9)
Mercadona distribution chain became the leader among Spanish supermarkets last year, with 22.1 per cent market share, according to a research from Kantar Worldpanel.
The distributor’s market share grew by 0.6 per cent compared to 21.5 per cent achieved in 2013, and tripled its immediate follower, Hiper Carrefour, which achieved 7.7 per cent (0.2 per cent more than in 2013) .
The third place went to DIA, with a market share of 7.6 per cent, followed by Eroski Supers (3.3 per cent) and Lidl (3.1 per cent).
Further behind stand Alcampo (with 2.8 per cent), Consum (1.9 per cent), Eroski Hiper (1.6 per cent), AhorraMas (1.5 per cent), and Caprabo (1.3 per cent).
When introducing the report, the director of Kantar Worldpanel consultancy, Cesar Valencoso, said that while "the global market has fallen," distribution chains have been “very busy” and trends are different from those observed during crisis.
Valencoso also noted that Mercadona "wins the game" in fresh products, with a share of 17.5 per cent, while Lidl was the distributor of packaged goods that grew higher, from 3.6 per cent to 4 per cent, Cinco Dias reported.
Despite these data, 2014 is considered "one of the worst years for mass consumption" at home, with fewer sales.
It is estimated that last year each household spent EUR 4,160, EUR 100 less than in 2013.
Valencoso foresees that 2015 will be a good year for consumption in the country and believes that the strongest segment will be the great packaged consumption.
Another trend noted by Kantar Worldpanel is that store brands "take a breather after the crisis, remaining stable, with a rise of 0.1 per cent."
However, he notes that this phenomenon is temporary and white labels "will return to growth in 2015," with a 3 per cent increase in purchase volume.
Kantar Worldpanel’s report was compiled from a data sample from 12,000 households reporting daily to the consultant about what and where they buy.