Mercadona, Spain’s undisputed supermarket leader, has long dominated the physical retail landscape. Yet, its journey into the digital realm has been a more complex and evolving story. The company’s latest financial results reveal a critical milestone: its online sales channel has broken the one-billion-euro barrier, underscoring a significant, albeit still emerging, part of its business model. This growth comes as part of a multi-billion euro digital transformation strategy that is reshaping how the Valencian giant operates, from its supply chain to its customer interactions.
Financial Performance and Online Revenue Breakdown
In its 2025 fiscal year, Mercadona reported total revenue of 41.858 billion euros, marking an 8% increase from the previous year. This figure consolidates sales from its vast network of physical stores in Spain and Portugal with its burgeoning online operations. The company’s net profit saw an even more substantial rise, reaching 1.729 billion euros, a 25% year-on-year increase. Within this impressive overall performance, the online segment is the standout growth story. Mercadona’s e-commerce arm generated 1.061 billion euros in revenue, accounting for approximately 2.5% of total sales. This represents a 26% surge compared to 2024, indicating rapid acceleration in digital adoption among its customer base.
Market Distribution and International Focus
The vast majority of Mercadona’s business remains in its home market. Spanish operations accounted for 39.766 billion euros of the 2025 revenue, while Portugal contributed 2.092 billion euros. The Portuguese expansion, a strategic focus since 2016, continues with 69 stores and 7,500 employees. The online growth is intrinsically linked to investments in infrastructure designed to serve both national markets efficiently, though the primary logistical backbone is currently within Spain.
The “Colmenas”: Backbone of the Online Operation
To fulfill online orders with speed and reliability, Mercadona has developed a dedicated infrastructure of automated warehouses, branded as “Colmenas” (Beehives). Six of these facilities are currently operational in Valencia, Barcelona, Getafe, Boadilla del Monte, Alicante, and Sevilla. A seventh Colmena is scheduled to launch in Vallecas in 2026, with an expected capacity to process up to 5,000 orders daily. These hubs are the core of the pure-play online service, allowing for centralized picking and packing.
Supplementing with Store-Based Fulfillment
Recognizing the geographical limitations of fixed warehouses, Mercadona has concurrently expanded a store-pick model. By the end of 2025, 218 physical stores across Spain were equipped to prepare and dispatch online orders, adding 73 new locations to the network that year. This hybrid approach extends the reach of Mercadona Online to areas beyond the immediate vicinity of the Colmenas. The entire online service is supported by a workforce of over 3,000 employees and a dedicated fleet of 1,000 delivery vans.
Digital Traffic and Competitive Online Presence
Despite online sales representing a small portion of total revenue, Mercadona’s digital footprint is substantial. The company’s website attracts an estimated 69.88 million annual visitors, placing it 11th among commerce-related sites in Spain. Recent data indicates approximately 3.64 million monthly visits to its e-commerce platforms, ranking it 195th in the broader e-commerce industry. In direct comparison with key supermarket competitors like Eroski, Lidl, Dia, and Hipercor, Mercadona’s website leads in traffic. Only Carrefour’s more extensive and diversified online marketplace draws more visits, though analysts note the comparison is not entirely like-for-like given the French retailer’s broader non-grocery offerings.
A Fragmented User Experience
Mercadona’s online front-end currently presents a dual reality to customers, dependent on their location. Visitors are required to enter their postal code upon arrival. Those residing in zones serviced by the new Colmenas or participating store-pick locations are directed to a modern, contemporary-looking online store with a full user-friendly interface. Customers outside these service areas are redirected to an older registration screen, which requires inputting personal details before even browsing the product catalog. This gated access highlights a significant area for improvement in user experience and indicates the phased, geography-led rollout of its digital transformation.
The 10-Billion-Euro Digital Transformation Strategy
Since 2016, Mercadona has committed a colossal 10 billion euros to its overarching digital and physical transformation. While the investment pace has moderated, it continues to fund major initiatives across store formats, customer engagement, and logistics.
Evolving Store Models: From Tienda 8 to Tienda 9
The company has renovated over 1,400 stores to its “Tienda 8” (Efficient Store Model), which reportedly doubled profitability. Approximately 80% of its stores have now undergone this renovation. The next evolution, “Tienda 9,” entered a laboratory testing phase in November 2025 in Xirivella, Valencia. With a planned investment of 3.7 billion euros, this model shifts from category-based management to process-based management. It features expanded space for fresh products, aims for a more agile shopping experience, and centralizes food preparation in a central kitchen, projecting savings of 10% in energy and 40% in water consumption.
Innovating Customer Communication Channels
Mercadona is actively exploring new digital touchpoints. Recent initiatives include launching an official TikTok channel and deploying a 24/7 WhatsApp chatbot named “Carol.” In a move underscoring its commitment to reputation management, the company has set a goal to “listen and respond to all reviews” left by customers on Google. Internally, it has developed a “Jefes Enamorados” (Enamored Bosses) database, allowing employees to access insights into customer purchasing patterns. A key sustainability and convenience success was the full implementation of the digital receipt system in 2023, allowing customers who pay with Mercadona cards to receive receipts via email after a simple WhatsApp registration, saving hundreds of tons of paper annually.
Logistical Overhaul and Sustainable Investment
The digital transformation is deeply intertwined with a massive logistical overhaul. Mercadona manages a 1.6-million-square-meter logistics network comprising 18 logistical blocks, 1 satellite warehouse, and 2 regulatory centers, all critical for supplying its Iberian stores. This network is run by over 13,000 specialized professionals. The company emphasizes constant investment in circular economy innovations, automation, and collaboration with logistics providers to promote sustainable strategies. In 2025 alone, Mercadona invested 138 million euros in its logistics division, with plans to invest up to 150 million euros more in 2026 for further adaptations and improvements.
The trajectory of Mercadona Online illustrates a deliberate, infrastructure-first approach to e-commerce, prioritizing operational reliability over rapid, nationwide service rollout. The 26% growth in online revenue suggests this strategy is resonating in the markets it serves. As the new Vallecas Colmena comes online and the Tienda 9 model is refined, the digital and physical elements of Mercadona’s empire are set to become even more integrated. The challenge remains in harmonizing the customer experience across all postal codes, turning the current patchwork of access into a seamless, nationwide digital service that matches the dominance of its brick-and-mortar presence. The billion-euro milestone is not an endpoint, but a clear signal that the supermarket leader’s digital chapter is now firmly open and accelerating.
