Portugal has seen the launch of 282 new food retail outlets during 2018 and 2019, according to reports.
Since January 2019, 154 new supermarkets have opened across the country, 26 more than in 2018, data from the Ministry of Economy published by daily Diario de Noticias has revealed.
Sonae MC opened the most new outlets, with 87 new stores under its banners Bom Dia, Go Natural, Meu Super and Modelo, while Spanish rival Dia also expanded its network, opening 76 Minipreço supermarkets.
With 24 new outlets, Auchan focused on increasing its My Auchan format, while fellow French operator Intermarché has also expanded its business in the country with 11 new stores.
Jerónimo Martins opened 24 new stores, under the Amanhecer and Pingo Doce banners, while in the hard discount arena, Lidl and Aldi rolled out 29 and 14 new supermarkets, respectively.
In the healthy food segment, Celeiro also invested in the expansion of its network, opening three more stores.
However, Portugal still has a lower store ratio per inhabitant compared to the EU average, according to the general director of the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED), Gonçalo Lobo Xavier.
'Robust' Market
He pointed out that "the market is very robust", driven by an increase in private consumption, while forecasts for 2020 "indicate that there will be more store renovations and new openings".
In 2018, the food retail market in Portugal achieved a turnover of €12.4 billion, up 2.8% compared to 2017.
The positive trend continued this year, with overall sales across large retail groups growing by 5.5% in the period January to September.
Preferred Retailers
Separately, according to a report in Dinheiro Vivo, based on a survey of Deco Proteste of almost 3,000 consumers, Portuguese consumers have ranked El Corte Inglés as boasting the best shopping experience.
The retailer obtained a score of 8.5 out of 10, primarily due to the product display, the quality of the meat and fish, and comfortable shopping experience.
German retailer Aldi achieved a satisfaction index of 8.2, with consumers highlighting the price of articles as positive.
Auchan and Coviran were placed third out of 18 store banners, with a score of 8.
Shopping Trends
The Portuguese spend, on average, €58 per visit to the supermarket, the survey also found, with 54% of respondents shopping once or twice a week.
Most go to the same supermarket and pay with a debit card, while 80% claim they never buy from an online store.
Dairy products emerged as the most sought-after item, with Continente Modelo being the most popular for this category, and Lidl the least.
Customers highlighted proximity to home or the workplace as a determining factor in choosing their preferred store banner and the type of products they purchase.
The Meu Super brand was selected by 67% of respondents as the best for fruit and vegetable purchases, Continente Modelo topped the list for grocery purchases (61%), while Aldi was the preferred supermarket for bread.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
