Mercadona has introduced Store 9, a new supermarket format designed to improve operational efficiency, modernise store layouts and enhance the shopping experience across its network.
The new model forms part of a €3.7 billion investment programme aimed at upgrading Mercadona’s supermarkets in the coming years while strengthening productivity and sustainability.
Store 9 represents the latest evolution of the company’s store concept, focusing on process-based organisation, improved fresh food presentation and new technical systems designed to optimise energy and operational efficiency.
What is Mercadona Store 9?
The Mercadona Store 9 supermarket model is a redesigned store format that reorganises internal operations around processes rather than traditional business units.
This approach aligns store organisation with the real shopping journey inside the supermarket, helping to optimise staff workflows, reduce unnecessary movement and improve coordination between teams.
The redesigned layout also allows the retailer to allocate more space to fresh products while reorganising chilled and frozen sections into a clearer and more continuous layout for customers.
Central production area introduced in stores
One of the main operational changes in Store 9 is the creation of a Central Production Area within the supermarket.
Preparation processes such as cutting, cooking and packaging that were previously distributed across the store are brought together in one central space.
According to the company, this centralisation improves operational control and efficiency while helping maintain consistent quality and freshness standards.
The redesign also supports more efficient use of resources, contributing to energy savings of up to 10% and water consumption reductions of up to 40% through improved management of store operations.
Technology and sustainability upgrades
The Store 9 concept includes several technical improvements designed to support sustainability and operational performance.
These include new refrigeration systems using CO₂ as a refrigerant, helping reduce environmental impact compared with conventional cooling technologies.
Chilled display units also integrate aerofoil systems designed to minimise the loss of cold air into store aisles without installing doors on refrigeration units.
Mercadona says this helps improve energy efficiency while maintaining thermal comfort for customers inside the store.
Additional upgrades include improved equipment systems and technical plant improvements intended to strengthen long-term operational reliability and store maintenance.
Why it matters
The Mercadona Store 9 supermarket model highlights how major European grocery retailers are redesigning stores to improve productivity, sustainability and operational efficiency.
Modern supermarket formats increasingly focus on process optimisation, improved fresh food presentation and energy-efficient technologies as retailers respond to rising operating costs and evolving consumer expectations.
Large-scale investment programmes such as Mercadona’s €3.7 billion modernisation plan also influence suppliers across the grocery ecosystem, including equipment providers, refrigeration specialists and packaging partners that support supermarket operations.
As retailers continue upgrading stores with new technologies and operational systems, store formats are becoming a key area of innovation within the European grocery sector.
