Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona purchased €35 million of products from Portuguese suppliers in the nine months leading up to September, Portugal's Dinheiro Vivo reported last week.
However, this figure is likely to surpass €50 million for the full year, Elena Aldana, director of external relations for Mercadona in Portugal, told the publication.
Although the Spanish company has yet to open its first supermarkets in Portugal (expected in 2019), it has a long-standing relationship with Portuguese suppliers for its 1,574 stores over the border.
Sugar, tomato, tropical fruits as well as fish and rock pear are the most popular Portuguese products purchased by Mercadona. The list also includes meat, coffee, biscuits, water, cleaning products, as well as processed and precooked products.
Dairy producer Lactogal and olive oil company Sovena, which have production units in Spain, are among the main suppliers, as well as coffee company Delta and brewer Unicer.
Mercadona wants to create the same sustainable agro-food chain in Portugal that it has previously developed in Spain, based on a commitment to the primary sector. In Spain, the company works directly with 7,500 farmers, 4,300 livestock farmers and 12,000 fishermen under the Sustainable Food Chain project.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
