A major supermarket has dwarfed the competition in Spain and been described as “the shoppers’ favourite”, maintaining a huge lead over its rivals in 2025. Mercadona, a chain which operates an impressive 1,618 stores across Spain and 61 in Portugal, earned a market share of 29.5% last year, the same as in 2024, while its closest rival, Carrefour, stayed in its distant second place with 7.2% and Lidl in third with 6.2%.

The figures were collated by consulting firm NielsenIQ (NIQ), which monitored the shopping habits of 12,000 households. The multinational Spanish discount chain, DIA, was fourth in the rankings with 4.8% followed by Eroski, with 4.3%, Consum on 4.1%, Alcampo, with 2.9%, Aldi on 1.8% and El Corte Inglés with a share of 1.6%. In the last decade, spending on the shopping basket has surged from €82billion (£71billion) to €131billion (£113billion) last year.

NIQ’s general manager for Iberia, Nacho San Martin, told El País: “The sector in Spain is going through a very positive evolution, with a very interesting dynamism for both manufacturers and retailers“.

“We are one of the countries that has grown the most and we project that this will continue to be the case,” he added.

Driven by the rise of teleworking and an increased demand for convenience, consumer habits are shifting away from traditional hypermarkets toward local and regional alternatives, the study revealed. According NIQ, regional supermarket operators now control a quarter of the market share, as shoppers prioritise proximity and ease of access over large-scale retail formats. This trend has led to a notable decline in hypermarket performance, while smaller convenience stores continue to see significant sales growth.

In terms of store area, Mercadona leads with 16.7%, followed by Carrefour on 10.9%, Eroski, with 6.3% and DIA, with 6%. As for the number of outlets, the study puts DIA in first place with 2,360, followed by Mercadona with 1,603, Eroski with 1,374, Carrefour with 1,175, Consum with 964, Lidl with 714, Alcampo with 504 and Aldi with 495.

Mercadona launched in 1977 as a small family butcher shop in Valencia, before Juan Roig transformed it into a dedicated supermarket chain in 1981. They gained market dominance by launching highly successful private-label brands, such as Hacendado and Deliplus, that offer high-quality products at low prices. Mercadona opened its first international store in Porto, Portugal, in 2019. As of April 2025, they have established a significant presence across the country with 61 stores.

Lidl, meanwhile, officially entered the Spanish market in 1994, opening its first store in Lleida. It expanded rapidly through the 1990s and is now one of Spain’s largest grocery retailers by market share. Aldi, meanwhile, launched in Spain in 2002. Its entry was delayed for several years because a Spanish wholesale group (IFA) originally owned the rights to the “Aldi” name in the country.