Mercadona invests 290 million in its second logistics hub in Portugal

Today, the company welcomes to its facilities the Portuguese Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida; the Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services, Pedro Machado; the Secretary of State for Agriculture, João Moura; the Spanish Ambassador to Portugal, Juan Fernández Trigo; and the Mayor of Almeirim, Pedro Miguel Ribeiro.

In the construction of this logistics hub, located in Almeirim and currently the largest logistics centre of the chain, more than 700 companies participated during the construction phase, resulting in the creation of 630 new stable and quality jobs.

Mercadona, a company with physical supermarkets and online sales, received a visit this Friday from the Portuguese Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, at its logistics centre in Almeirim (Portugal). To date, it is the largest logistics centre of the chain, with an investment of 290 million euros.

The event was also attended by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services, Pedro Machado; the Secretary of State for Agriculture, João Moura; the Spanish Ambassador to Portugal, Juan Fernández Trigos; and the Mayor of Almeirim, Pedro Miguel Ribeiro; accompanied by Inês Santos, Director of Institutional Relations in Portugal; and Artur Silva, Director of the Almeirim logistics hub; both from Mercadona.

From this logistics hub, where more than 700 companies participated in the construction phase, supplies are provided to the current 63 stores that Mercadona has in Portugal. With the launch of this hub, the company's commitment to the Portuguese market is strengthened, allowing for the continuation of its expansion project, complementing the other logistics centre located in Póvoa de Varzim (Porto).

Mercadona, which began construction of the Almeirim hub in 2022 on a 440,000 square metre plot, has a total built area of nearly 120,000 square metres. Inside, it houses a 49,000 square metre cold storage warehouse, a 50,000 square metre dry goods warehouse, a general services building, offices, and a materials maintenance warehouse.

This logistics hub has created 630 new stable and quality jobs. The training of new hires represented an investment of 7.2 million euros, reinforcing the company's strong commitment to training its workforce, one of its key priorities and undoubtedly the reason for its business success. Additionally, it has promoted 50 employees to positions of greater responsibility, confirming the company's commitment to employee talent, providing constant opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The company remains committed to optimising energy consumption, implementing policies for the responsible use of energy resources. Furthermore, Mercadona has been introducing renewable energies for years, as evidenced by the incorporation of solar panels in stores and logistics hubs. In Almeirim, the company has installed 8,700 solar panels, covering 25% of the logistics hub's energy demand with green energy, amounting to 4.5 GWh annually.

The responsible use of water resources is a commitment Mercadona upholds, paying special attention to processes requiring intensive water use. Therefore, several water management measures have been implemented at the Almeirim logistics hub. Among the most significant measures, the hub features a water reuse system, saving 90,000 litres per day, and has installed a rainwater collection and storage system to channel water to the Ribera do Falhão (a water channel crossing the hub's plot), preserving it and its ecosystem.

Additionally, Mercadona has a monitoring system that measures real-time water consumption, allowing for process adjustments and better resource utilisation. All these measures not only contribute to greater water use efficiency but also reinforce Mercadona's commitment to sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of its operations.

During his visit to the infrastructure this Friday, the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, stated: "Investments like this are welcome, as they modernise the national economy, creating added value for the region, in this case in Almeirim." During his speech, the minister congratulated Mercadona on its initiative to build the company's largest logistics centre in Portugal and added: "Portugal is a good country to invest in and welcomes its investors. Investment, economic growth, competitiveness, productivity, and profit are our key words. Today's profits are own capital for the next investment. It is with investment and innovation that we can improve wages."

Similarly, Pedro Miguel Ribeiro, Mayor of Almeirim, highlighted: "The formal inauguration of Mercadona's logistics hub is a historic day for our municipality. Mercadona is now the largest employer in the municipality and, at the same time, has revitalised an area that, despite its potential, was not being used as an economic activity area and has enormous potential, as evidenced by the installation of many other companies. It is a strategic investment that is changing the city, the municipality, and the region for the better."

Inês Santos, Director of Institutional Relations for Mercadona in Portugal, considered that "this milestone is the result of Mercadona's commitment to our country. We are proud to have met the challenges we set when we announced our internationalisation project. Year after year, we continue to strive to be more Portuguese and create a shared growth project hand in hand with our employees and suppliers, now joined by this logistics hub with 630 people who give their best every day. With Almeirim, we open our doors to a future that is increasingly efficient for our logistics, which means better service to the 'Boss' (customer)."

Mercadona has an efficient logistics network of 1.4 million square metres spread across 17 logistics hubs, 2 satellite warehouses, 2 regulatory warehouses, and 1 material warehouse, along with 6 'hives' (exclusive online sales warehouses). Through this network, it supplies the more than 1,670 supermarkets the company operates, thanks to the dedication and work of a team of over 13,000 people, including 1,000 in Portugal, whose specialisation and professionalism are essential to guarantee the daily efficiency and stability of the supply chain.

The company, aware of the impact generated by a logistics activity of such volume and capillarity, maintains a constant commitment to efficiency and sustainability. This involves the continuous search for measures that prioritise optimisation and minimise resource consumption. This effort, in turn, translates into the implementation of pioneering circular economy measures, the incorporation of new automation processes, the testing and application of green initiatives, and close collaboration with logistics providers to promote strategies that combine efficiency with environmental respect and coexistence with neighbours.