Portuguese retailers have opened more than 100 stores in 2016, according to local daily Expresso.
The two largest grocery retailers, Sonae and Jerónimo Martins, together opened 92 new stores in 2016, including the Continente, Continente Bom Dia, Meu Super, Pingo Doce and Amanhecer formats.
Store formats such as Meu Super and Amanhecer have emerged as a winning formula for Sonae and Jerónimo Martins, establishing partnerships that have enabled small merchants to relaunch their businesses, while offering the local population a varied product offer.
Smaller chains such as Intermarché, Lidl and Spar together added another 13 new stores.
These statistics contradict the notion that there is no room for more supermarkets in Portugal, the publication said. The country has 137 stores per million inhabitants (not including stores below 400 metres-square), of which 83 are small supermarkets (400 to 1,000 metres-square).
However, a 2014 Nielsen study found that Portugal was one of the countries with the lowest percentage in Europe, lagging behind Norway’s average of 562 stores per million inhabitants.
Nielsen data also showed that small and large supermarkets (1,000 to 2,999 metres square) have been gaining ground in Portugal over the past 15 years (increasing market share from 3% to 10%), to the detriment of neighbourhood grocery stores.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
