Mercadonas

the one who makes Mercadona’s torrija bread

by

I firmly believe that we must deseasonalize desserts. Saint’s bones, bread of the dead and roscón de reyes all year round, please. And also torrijasof course. And something cyclical every Easter week In many homes it is the discussion about torrijas bread. Some of us prefer it from a bakery, but another resource is that they can sell it in a chain, being Mercadona. the undisputed queen in Spain. And if you are one of those who wonders who makes the products of FarmerIn the case of Mercadona’s torrija bread, there is a very simple answer. A company from Alcalá de Henares. Mercadona bread. The Panificadora de Alcalá website is simple. In it, we read that they have been making bread since 1955, but also a key fact: since 2006, they have been suppliers to Mercadona. Sometimes it is not easy to know who does what for the Valencian chain, but other times, the companies that create products under the umbrella of ‘ Hacendado’ do not hide. Take a walk around the catalog of products from the bakery is to look into the bread section of the supermarket. And one of the products they sell is Mercadona’s torrija bread. For the Xataka jury, Mercadona’s is not the best torrija bread (there is the one from El Corte Inglés), but whether we like it more or less does not mean that the Madrid company feels comfortable playing in the league of white label stars. Rent. According to the data of the ranking of elEconomista companies, Panificadora de Alcalá occupies fourth place nationally, only behind Bimbo Donuts, Monbake and another Bimbo spin-off. According to the financial newspaper, being a Mercadona customer is going well for him. Turnover of 53.2 million euros in 2021, 72.1 million in 2022 and 81.7 million in 2023. In 2024, Digital Economy point which created 90 new jobs and are investing 25 million euros in a new factory. of gold. Panificadora de Alcalá is not the only company that sells bread to Juan Roig’s supermarket, nor is it an isolated case of success, precisely because of its status as a Mercadona supplier. A few months ago we echoed the Entrepinares case. the cheese maker boasts of being “the largest cheese manufacturer” and the key is, precisely, that for more than 20 years It has a key alliance with Mercadona, being its largest cheese supplier while working with its own brand in other supermarkets. The cheese margin is seen to be large, here we are talking about a turnover that will skyrocket to more than 660 million euros in 2024, 8% more than that registered in the previous period. And there are many more cases, such as those of Profand (fish), Familia Martínez (the prepared food that they are pushing so much, to the amazement of those of us who still love to cook) or Oztuk (kebab and meat products), some of the suppliers that They are making money operating from the shadows. Demanding. Here we might think that Mercadona already takes over the services that are going well and yes, it makes sense, but the manufacturers are clearly interested in allying themselves with the Roig chain. An example is Panamar, another bread company that, after becoming a supplier to Mercadona, grew 28%. But to keep up with a Mercadona that dominates with around 30% market shareone has to invest. Panamar allocated 38 million euros to expand its factory in the Valencian town of Enguera, Grupo Huevos Guillén another 30 million investment in renovations and acquisition of farms, Schreiber (yogurts) 40 million in expansion and new lines and the aforementioned Entrepinares 53 million in a new factory. Casa Tarradellas, which has its own brand, but supplies products to Mercadona, invested 104 million euros in two new factories. And the Martinez Family prepared products… a whopping 150 million. In total, it is estimated that in 2023 suppliers will invest 500 million euros in total to keep up with Mercadona. The number skyrocketed up to 1.7 billion in 2024. Sometimes he takes out his wallet. As we said, it is evident that Mercadona’s supplier companies are interested in investing to expand and be able to keep up with a giant that not only relies on third parties, but sometimes takes its wallet out for a ride. Last year it bought Logifruita company that has been supplying reusable pallets and boxes for years, a move that could seem strange if we take into account that it already operated almost exclusively for Mercadona, but that is better explained when we know that the trade is rethinking the design of its supermarkets. In the end, Mercadona’s commercial success relies heavily on that network of suppliers throughout the country, and the figures show that those who make up that network are not doing badly either. As Easter approaches, it will be Panificadora de Alcalá that will surely have an increase in bills to prepare some torrijitas at home. As much as the owner of Mercadona don’t seem to like it May we continue doing things at home. Images | RafaxFlikr (Informative Board) In Xataka | Mercadona and the rest of the supermarkets have realized something worrying: they spend a million dollars on printing paper

Mercadona’s future looks less like that of a supermarket and more like that of a takeaway restaurant

by

Juan Roig, founder of Mercadona, is clear that in 2050 there will be no kitchens. Is an affirmation who, in addition to being daring, is, of course, interested. Especially taking into account that the Valencian company has managed to dominate the niche of distribution of prepared dishes with an iron fist, where its market share is 51.2%. The path is clear for Mercadona’s future: betting on saying goodbye to cooking at home. Store 9. Mercadona has launched its new logistics project with the name “Tienda 9”, which is the successor to the previous “Tienda 8”. Like Roig himself claimed“We have not been very original (with the name).” With an investment of 3.7 billion euros, the chain will transform its 1,600 centers in Spain and Portugal and will do so with a new criterion. After optimizing space and energy efficiency with the previous modelthe goal now is to completely redesign the user experience and internal workflow. Sort by temperature. The great revolution is not aesthetic, but structural. Mercadona abandons the “business” organization (greengrocer, butcher, etc.) to move to process management. In practice, this means that the supermarket will be sorted according to the storage temperature of the products. Thus, frozen vegetables will no longer be next to fresh fruits, but with the rest of the sub-zero products to optimize the cold chain and the speed of purchase. Goodbye, Mr. fruit seller. “Store 9” also marks the end of traditional counters. Here Mercadona is committed to total self-service: meats and fish They will be presented exclusively on trays. Handling, cutting and packaging are moved to central or internal workshopswhich will free up the space facing the public to convert it into more agile linear free-service areas. If you want to talk to the fruit seller or the butcher, forget it. Here everything is designed for minimal human interaction and of course, to optimize (further) margins. More efficient, no doubt, but also dangerously lonely. Six strategic areas. In this new design of each store there will be six different areas. The core will be refrigerated, frozen and trays, which will be next to each other to facilitate logistics. To this will be added areas of products at room temperature, a fruit and vegetable section that will gain square meters and of course, the big star: the prepared food area, which will no longer look like that, but something else. dark kitchenbut in pretty. The success of prepared dishes is so overwhelming at Mercadona that strengthening this section is a key component of this new “Store 9” logistics project. The supermarket looks less and less like a supermarket and more and more like a restaurant in which there are no tables, only take-out food. He controversial concept of ghost kitchens (dark kitchen) that experienced overwhelming success and an equally devastating fall is now recovering but in an “official” way and with the support of the chain that is converting it into an everyday occurrence. It is already known: Now we buy time, not food. Ready to eat. This strategy responds to a clear trend: people are excited about ready-to-eat meals. This section already has a turnover of more than 1,000 million euros and is growing at a rate of 20% annually. Mercadona wants to promote this section, so not only will expand the product rangebut will install more tables and chairs in the establishments. The “super” will come dangerously close to the traditional restaurant, thus competing with a sector that was already competitive. The revolution made a supermarket. The evolution of prepared meals at Mercadona is worthy of studying in MBAs. The chain conceived its table and chair areas as a service aimed at passing customers or workers from nearby offices. However, the aggressive pricing policy—bars and restaurants cannot compete—has transformed these corners into improvised soup kitchens and neighborhood meeting points. Depending on the location, there is a certain friction: what for some is a vital savings solution, for the customer looking for quick and aseptic purchases acts as a deterrent: the supermarket is no longer as efficient for them. More efficiency than ever. This transformation will also bring improvements in energy efficiency. According to Mercadona’s estimates, this strategy will allow an additional saving of 10% in energy and 40% in water compared to the previous model, which in fact It was already an example of efficiency. Each store will have a technical update of its machine room, although at the moment it does not seem that they are going to offer self-checkouts: Roig’s model continues to prioritize the passage through an attended checkout, maintaining – there – the human factor at the last point of contact of an increasingly automated store. Image | Flikr (Informative Board), Wikimedia Commons (Carlos) In Xataka | Mercadona and the rest of the supermarkets have realized something worrying: they spend a million dollars on printing paper

Mercadona’s ready-meal supplier is investing 150 million more because we have given ourselves

by

Familia Martínez, the group that manufactures packaged lasagnas, gratins and roasts for Mercadona, has announced aAn investment of 150 million euros in two new facilitiesboth in areas affected by DANA 2024: A 20,000 square meter plant in Buñol dedicated exclusively to roasted products. And a rapid distribution center of 3,500 square meters in Torrent with capacity for 1,000 pallets. Both will be operational between 2025 and 2026. In one of the openings there is a nod to the founding of the company: it started in the 70s with a butcher shop in Torrent. Qor what is important. This expansion responds to the explosive growth of fifth-range prepared dishes in Spanish supermarkets. We are not talking about food from the counter that is sold hot (the ‘Ready to Eat’ section), but about refrigerated packaged products that the consumer heats at home: cannelloni, lasagna, roast ribs… A few months ago The Spanish have consumed 17 kilos per person of prepared dishes in 20246.6% more than the previous year, and Mercadona has bet heavily on this category: Juan Roig said a few months ago that “in the middle of the 21st century there will be no kitchens” and is transforming the chain accordingly. The figures. Familia Martínez closed 2024 with a turnover of 480 million euros (8% more) and a net profit of 31 million (15% more). Production exceeded 92 million kilos, with a growth of 6.2%. The group directly employs more than 1,900 workers in Valencia and Madrid. More than 600,000 gratin dishes and 200,000 roasts leave the Buñol plant every week. In total, it has invested 320 million euros in the last seven years. The context. The Martínez Family integrates four companies: Martínez sausages (minced meat and sausages). Traditional dishes (gratins, lasagna and fifth-range roasts). Five Forks (traditional roasts). La Pila Food (semi-finished products for industry). Mercadona represents 85% of its business. Last year, the group paid 68 million euros to the French group Fleury Michon to keep 100% Traditional Dishes, the jewel in the crown. The money trail. The investment in the new Buñol roasting plant is the most ambitious in the history of Familia Martínez. The center has been designed under criteria of energy efficiency and sustainability, with special attention to water savings. According to the CEO, Raúl Martínthe group is “in a moment of important growth, in line with the good progress of our main client”, in direct reference to Mercadona, which represents close to 80% of its business. The disappearance of kitchens that Roig predicts not only translates into more prepared dishes, but also a radical simplification of fresh products. During 2024, Mercadona has expanded its “reengineering” of the fishmonger’s section to offer products that do not require the intervention of a fishmonger in the store. Salmon nuggets, gluten-free hake sticks or clean sole are examples of this strategy. The rapid distribution center in Torrent will include semi-automatic shelving and two refrigerated warehouses with automatic management and robotization systems. This will shorten delivery times and improve the operational efficiency of the current Embutidos Martínez plants in Cheste and Torrent. In Xataka | The boom in prepared food in supermarkets has a blind spot: nutrition. Are we putting the foxes to guard the henhouse? Featured image | Martínez Family, Mercadona

In Spain, a huge electric carload network has been created in the shadow: Mercadona’s

by

The expansion of the electric car depends on several factors. Autonomy is fundamental, but so important is reduce friction when loading. That is why they are applying Wireless load solutionsbut it is also necessary a Expansion in the loading network. And there is someone who has positioned himself as the great network of free cargoers in Spain. Mercadona Short. Loading the car while making the purchase is a comfortable way to give an impulse of kilometers to the accountant. In that sense, Mercadona hill 2024 with almost 5,000 active recharge points if we add the more than 4,800 of Spain and the almost 140 of Portugal. It is curious, but this positions the supermarket as one of the most extensive networks in the country. The network. To reduce that friction, On this website We can see a list of the Mercadona that have recharge points with a breakdown of the most important data: Population and street. Load places. Power. Asterisk. Although the number of recharge stalls That they have deployed in a short time, there is an important detail to consider (not to mention those that park combustion cars in these places focused on plug -in electric/hybrids), it is the loading power. Currently, Mercadona offers two powers: 3.7 kW and 22 kW. They are clearly scarce powers. Load at 3.7 kW for free for 60 minutes. Load at 22 kW at € 0.25/kWh. What Mercadona proposes is a support for that day, with a free recharge of about 15 kilometers of autonomy, enough for daily urban activity, hugging the CA network while rejecting, for now, the fastest stations of CC. It is also important to take the cable in the trunk. And model. The good market is competition, and if other chains see that users perceive Mercadona chargers as an important value added to experience, they will begin to offer their own solutions. Carrefour, for example, too It has a map in which we can find loaders of a much more limited network, but with options of 50 kW and 150 kW. Savoramás has projects Undergoing to expand its network by EDP and Lidl has More than 215 stores with 654 recharge points in total with Compatible loaders With Chademo, CCS and AC type 2 and free recharge for half an hour, but without a detail of what type of speed is handled in each of those chargers. And the English Court more of the sameeven with some exclusive points for Tesla. As we say, in the end it is a way to reduce friction when betting on the electric car, but beyond supermarkets, we see that little by little the network is expanding in stores such as Decathloneither McDonald’swhere We have seen some Ferrari by throwing morro. In this case, with powers up to 150 kW. Images | SMNT, Carloss In Xataka | Installation of an electric car charger in neighboring communities: step by step, legislation and everything to know

Repairing scratches with Mercadona’s hair lacquer is as effective as it is not recommended

by

A small one in the front bumper. Another in the right rear wing. And one who did not give importance at the driver’s door and now bothers you. Small friction and damage In the body without much importance. No, at least, to call insurance, however they reduce the image of our car. Because who likes to have the car as a new one always has in those little taps, in some frictions that seemed of little entity, some notches for which they end up suffering. Here we collect some tricks to remove the lighter damage. A small without importance That is what we usually think when these types of small shocks or blows that end up leaving our cars full of notches that at first seemed to go unnoticed. To solve it there are a good number of small tricks and homemade solutions that multiply through social networks. Some more or less recommended. The first thing to consider is the depth of the scratch. If this is deep and has crossed more than one paint layer, it is best to go to a professional if you want to eliminate the same Without leaving a mark. It will be necessary to paint the area and it is essential to use the same tone as in the rest of the body so that it is not striking or obvious that something happened there. When rubbing is not deep, there are various recommendations. From Xataka We propose to get a Specific product for this task. Ha of various types. Some include a simple suede to remove the excesses of the product but others also with polisher and polisher To leave everything as new. Although this, we point out, we believe it is the best option, there are some homemade tricks that can be useful in a timely manner but that are not recommended when you want to make intensive use of them. One that has gone viral on social networks is to apply Mercadona lacquer. The idea is apply hair lacquer on the body and pass a microfiber cloth. The rubbing should disappear but the damage is done and is only a cosmetic improvement that reduces its visibility. Juliwheels on Instagram (More than 350,000 followers) Explain the process and close with a resounding “Flip how it looks.” The problem is that this type of lacquer can contain chemicals that damage the body of the car and, therefore, kill the brightness of the paint or in the worst case to cause its fall. It is not something that will happen with a single punctual application but they are risks that are being repeated in time. These types of tricks, such as using an antigrase product or Vinegar for car wheelsThey usually have little aesthetic route but, in addition, they usually damage the protective layers of the vehicle itself, putting its aesthetics at risk over time. There are multitude of similar cases. It is about applying a slight layer of olive oil, sodium bicarbonate or removing alcohol and, subsequently, conscientiously clean the surface. All of them, as we said, are remedies to get out of the way. The same can happen if we apply toothpaste, which is used as a puller when rubbing it against the surface. This last remedy, for example, is also usually used to polish the headlights of the car, something that works aesthetically but can cause dispersions in the beam of light and, therefore, worsen visibility. Photo | Volodymyr Dobrovolskyy and Mercadona In Xataka | A simple circle painted on the save lives of motorists: the project that praises the DGT but that only Catalonia tests

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.