Mercadona faces shifting consumer habits in Spanish grocery market

Mercadona remains the leading supermarket chain in Spain, but recent data suggests a shift in consumer behavior is challenging its dominance. According to Worldpanel by Numerator figures for the first eight months of 2026, Mercadona holds a 27.4% share of the Spanish grocery market, a figure that has remained largely stable with only a 0.1% growth compared to the previous year.

While Mercadona maintains a significant lead over competitors like Carrefour (9%) and Lidl (7.3%), the retailer saw a 0.8 percentage point decrease in its share of shoppers. This trend indicates that Spanish households are increasingly splitting their weekly grocery spending across multiple chains rather than relying on a single primary store. Currently, 57.7% of purchases are made outside a shopper’s main chain, driven by a focus on promotions, pricing, and individual product offers.

Competitors are capitalizing on this fragmentation. Lidl has increased its market share to 7.3%, expanding its appeal beyond discount shopping into fresh food and larger baskets. Dia and Consum also saw gains of 0.3 percentage points each, reaching 4.1% and 3.9% respectively. Additionally, private label products have become a significant factor in the sector, accounting for 47.3% of the Spanish fast-moving consumer goods market.