Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona has posted year-on-year consolidated sales growth of 5.5%, to €26.9 billion, in its financial year 2020.
Sales in the retail chain’s 20 stores in Portugal contributed €186 million to this total.
The company’s net profit amounted to €727 million, up 17% year-on-year, after sharing €409 million in bonuses of employees and €364 million in taxes.
It created approximately 5,000 new jobs as of end 2020, with a workforce of 95,000 people with a permanent contract.
Transformation Project
Mercadona invested more than €1.5 billion on accelerating its transformation project and promoting a more digital, productive and sustainable business model.
The retailer ended the year with 1,641 supermarkets, which include 70 new outlets, with 10 in Portugal.
The retailer also closed 65 stores that did not conform to its new efficient and sustainable model.
In 2020, the retailer upgraded approximately 1,000 supermarkets to its new store model.
Pandemic
The company incurred expenses of €200 million to guarantee the health and safety of its customers during the pandemic.
It provided disinfectant gel, paper and gloves, and increased the disinfection and cleaning processes in its stores.
Juan Roig, president of Mercadona, commented, "2020 has been a tough, rare and difficult year, which has allowed us to reaffirm that the true force of the transformation of the company is the people who make up this project."
"We have all been capable, despite moments of uncertainty, of overcoming our fears, making courageous decisions, and working as a team to open the company's more than 1,600 supermarkets every day."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
