Mercadona is the most frequented supermarket chain in Spain, with over 1,600 points of sale on the Iberian Peninsula. On the French side, the situation is simpler than it is sometimes portrayed: the chain has no stores on national territory. French consumers wishing to shop there must cross the border, and this reality is not expected to change in the short term.
Mercadona and France: why no establishment is planned
Several articles suggest that Mercadona’s arrival in France would be imminent or likely. The facts tell a different story. No official communication from Mercadona mentions France as a target market, neither in annual reports nor in management statements.
The chain’s strategy focuses on the Iberian Peninsula. Mercadona is heavily investing in the renovation of its Spanish stores with a new store format called Tienda 9, and continues its development in Portugal. This internal transformation plan absorbs considerable budgets, making the opening of a new country unrealistic for several years.
For the French looking to locate Mercadona stores in France, the answer can be summed up in one sentence: they do not exist yet, and no timeline has been announced.
Border Mercadona stores: where to shop from France
The only option to access Mercadona’s aisles remains to visit the stores located on the Spanish side, near the border. Several points of sale are particularly frequented by French customers, especially in the province of Girona and the Spanish Basque Country.
Stores near the Pyrénées-Orientales
The Mercadona in Figueres is the best-known among French border crossers. Located less than an hour from Perpignan, it regularly attracts residents from southern France. Other stores exist in the area of La Jonquera and Roses, accessible from the Pyrénées-Orientales department.
Stores near the French Basque Country
On the Atlantic side, the stores located in Irun and the area of San Sebastián are the most accessible from Hendaye or Bayonne. The journey rarely exceeds thirty minutes from the border.
The main points of sale frequented by the French are as follows:
- Figueres, Girona, about 50 minutes from Perpignan via the AP-7 motorway
- La Jonquera, a few kilometers from the Perthus border crossing, accessible in less than 30 minutes from Céret
- Irun, Basque Country, accessible in less than 15 minutes from Hendaye
Tienda 9: the new Mercadona supermarket format
Rather than expanding geographically, Mercadona is transforming its existing stores. The Tienda 9 format represents the latest generation of supermarkets from the chain, gradually rolled out in Spain over the past few months.
This new concept emphasizes fresh products, with expanded bakery areas and a rethought presentation of fruits, vegetables, and fish. The stated goal is to enhance the in-store experience without raising prices.
The Tienda 9 format also incorporates semi-automated logistics. Mercadona has opened its first “hive” (warehouse for preparing online orders) equipped with robots, capable of processing several hundred orders per day. This type of investment shows that the chain prioritizes the modernization of its Iberian network over international expansion.
Mercadona products: what attracts French consumers
The appeal of Mercadona for the French largely rests on its private labels. Hacendado for food and Deliplus for cosmetics are the two most sought-after ranges. The quality-price ratio is the primary argument cited by consumers making the trip.
Hacendado covers a wide spectrum: grocery, canned goods, dairy products, snacks, beverages. The Deliplus cosmetic range, developed in partnership with Spanish laboratories, offers skincare for the face, body, and hair at significantly lower prices than those in France for comparable products.
French consumers visiting border stores often bring back:
- Large quantities of Hacendado products (olive oil, canned goods, biscuits, coffee)
- Deliplus cosmetics (face creams, serums, shampoos)
- Local fresh products (Iberian charcuterie, cheeses, seasonal fruits)
The private label range represents the majority of the shelf offering, which differentiates Mercadona from French supermarkets where national brands occupy most of the shelf space.
Mercadona vs. French chains: a different model
Mercadona’s economic model is based on a narrow assortment. While a French hypermarket offers several tens of thousands of references, Mercadona deliberately limits the choice to a reduced number of products per category. This approach allows for negotiating larger volumes with suppliers and maintaining low prices.
However, this strategy comes at a cost for consumers accustomed to French supermarkets: the choice of brands is limited. Customers looking for a specific national brand will not find it at Mercadona. The chain accepts this constraint and relies on loyalty to its own ranges.
For the French residing near the Spanish border, Mercadona remains a concrete alternative to reduce grocery budgets, provided they accept the travel and the limited brand offering. The available data does not allow us to say whether the chain will ever consider the French market, but its public roadmap suggests nothing before the end of the decade.
