For decades, the hypermarket was the dominant format in the collective imagination of mass consumption. A huge parking lot, endless hallways, “everything under one roof” as a promise of efficiency and a comforting feeling of abundance. It was almost aspirational, a happy import.
Today that promise does not advance, but rather recedes.
According to Mercasa data cited by The Economistsupermarkets already concentrate 91.8% of the food commercial surface in Spain. Hypermarkets, on the other hand, have fallen by up to 8.2%.
It is a modest percentage change – 1.3% loss in a decade – but very symbolic: the consolidation of one model and the withdrawal of the other. Not even the investment efforts of Alcampo or Carrefour have reversed the trend: in a decade, hypermarkets have opened 37 new stores and added more than 27,000 square meters. But its relative weight continues to fall.
Even in market value there is stagnation. After a post-pandemic rebound, the hyper channel has returned to 10% quota in 2025, below the level of 2021. And the format that is growing the most is ‘large supermarket’, that of more than 1,000 square meters. In 2014 there were 3,501 such locations, in 2024 there were 4,836. Almost half of the food sales area in Spain is in the hands of this specific type of supermarket.
The reading of some experts like Kantar points to a combination of factors:
- Smaller homes.
- Higher average age of the population.
- Urban context that favors small and nearby purchases.
- Less car culture than in countries like the United States.
These are elements that explain a good part of this shift in consumption. It’s not that people buy less at the hypermarket, but rather that they often don’t even consider going there.
The change is recognized from the chains themselves. Alcampo announced a plan last year to reduce the size of 15 of its hypermarkets and close 25 supermarkets. It is also renovating more than 60 stores and strengthening its logistics for the online channel.
All with the idea, they say, of “adapting to smaller, more convenient establishments adapted to new needs.” The parent group, Auchan Retail, is also experiencing difficulties in other markets, especially in France, with several consecutive decline in sales. It reversed the trend in 2025 with a slight increase of 1.5%, but its business in Spain continued to fall 1.4%.
Carrefour is not immune either. Although it bought 46 Supercor stores, its share has fallen to 9% at the end of 2025 and its parent company has also announced adjustments. In February of this year, yes, the company announced its Carrefour 2030 strategic plan in Spain, with the opening of more urban stores – generally in train and subway stations, tourist areas and even hotels – over the next few years.
It is too early to know if we are facing the definitive decline of the hypermarket or if it is a minor correction, but although it maintains objective advantages (assortment, price, promotions, suitability for those who need to go by car…), and it is likely that it will retain its relevance in suburban contexts, the direction of the trend seems clear: the battle for surface area, frequency and proximity is being won by the supermarket.
Maybe the change is not so much commercial as mental: we no longer think of the purchase as an event (which requires going to a very specific place, taking the car out, dedicating more time to it, setting aside a weekly time for it) but as a more spontaneous and functional routine. And in that logic, the supermarket – agile, close, practical, integrated into our daily lives – has the advantage.
It is not that the hypermarket has failed, but that the context has changed.
Featured image | Annie Vo in Unsplash
*An earlier version of this article was published in May 2025
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings