Carrefour defends itself against the rise of Mercadona and regional retailers by announcing 100 openings by 2025.

A few days after Alcampo announced the layoff of 710 employees—580, following negotiations with unions—as part of an adjustment plan the company said it needed to "adapt to new consumer habits," the other major French supermarket chain operating in Spain announced a plan in the opposite direction.

According to Carrefour in a statement, they expect to close the 2025 fiscal year with more than one hundred openings across the country, a rollout that will result in 700 new hires. With this, the French multinational continues its sensational rollout in Spain, which has made it a leader in openings over the past six years. Since 2019, and if it fulfills what it announced today, Carrefour will have opened 691 stores in Spain, bringing the total to over 1,600 locations. In monetary terms, this represents an investment of more than €150 million since 2019.

The context, however, is the same as that facing Alcampo. The rise of regional supermarkets and stiff competition from the all-powerful Mercadona are not making things easy for the large chains.

For Carrefour, its multi-million-dollar investment over the last six years has only served to hold its own and maintain its market share against Lidl and Eroski, which trail behind with market shares of 6.5% and 4.3% respectively. Despite the openings, its market share in 2024 was 9.8%, far behind Mercadona's (26.6%) and identical to that of 2023, while Juan Roig's company grew by 0.5% last year.

The data comes from the latest annual report on the sector by the consulting firm Kantar, which has long warned of a change in consumer purchasing habits, with consumers increasingly opting for regional chains with local roots and a wide range of local products. According to Kantar, they already have an 18% market share.

Just a few days ago, ABC reported—according to data from the employers' association Asedas—that, since 2021, regional supermarkets have gained more than 10% of their retail space, double the sector average (4.3%). In terms of store numbers, they have increased from 3,750 to 4,130 in this five-year period. This is putting pressure on large chains, which are increasingly showing signs of having reached their limit.

Among other reasons, this is due to the commitment to the large supermarket model, which is currently losing market share to local and franchise concepts. In fact, it's not surprising that the vast majority of the hundred centers Carrefour will open will be Carrefour Express, and none will be hypermarkets.

"We are committed to a strategy that combines different formats, such as hypermarkets and local and convenience supermarkets. We want to be where our customers are and offer them the best at the best price, which is what differentiates Carrefour Spain," explained Elodie Perthuisot, CEO of Carrefour Spain.