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regional chains like Froiz yes

April 10, 2026 by usatoday24

For a long time now, talking about supermarkets in Spain has been equivalent to talking about Mercadona. The Valencian chain leads the sector with a business share that around 30% and is the spearhead of some of its most relevant trends, such as bet on the short assortmentthe white labelthe ready foods to eat and the tray as star format for the fresh ones. That does not mean that Juan Roig’s signature is the only one that indicates the path to follow. Another equally interesting trend can be found in the super regionals. In case there were any doubts, Froiz just reminded us. What has happened? That they have just transcended the billing and growth data of Froiz, a chain of stores based in Poio (Pontevedra) and present mainly in Galicia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid and the north of Portugal. Said like this, it may not sound interesting (its weight in the sector is very inferior that of the large chains), but it is if we broaden the focus. Beyond the details of billing or profits, Froiz’s accounts confirm that regional chains keep the pulse in a sector in which only Mercadona, Carrefour and Lidl monopolized almost 43% of the entire pie last year, according to the latest data published by the consulting firm NielsenIQ. And how has it been? Relatively good. In 2025 Froiz reached a business volume of 970 million euroswhich translates into 3.2% more than in 2024 (940 million) and leaves the Galician group one step closer to the psychological barrier of the 1 billion. Its turnover also rises constantly. In 2024 it had already registered 3.1% and in 2023, in a scenario marked by inflation, it reached shoot up 11%. These are figures much lower than those managed by Mercadona, which in 2025 invoiced 41,858 millionbut they still reflect growth. Did it only grow in sales? No. The Pontevedra-based chain also expanded its workforce by 3.7%, placing it at 7,000 employeesand expanded its network of points of sale. Right now sum 268 spread across Galicia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Community of Madrid and four districts of Portugal. There are half a dozen more establishments than the previous year, a growth that has been achieved thanks in part to the acquisition of several points of sale in León and investments in the capital. The firm basically works through “super” format locals (249), although it also manages seven hypermarketsa dozen cash & carry and has another 80 franchised stores. Why is it relevant? We still lack data from other food chains to have a general picture (for example those of Gadisa and Eroskidirect competitors in Galicia), but Froiz’s results connect with a trend that comes from long ago: the resistance of regional companies against the advance of giants food, such as the Carrefour, Lidl, Dia and especially Mercadona groups. Only the Valencian company reached a quota in 2025 29.5% after registering a year-on-year growth of almost half a point. Is there more data? In a recent report Regarding the sector, the consulting firm Worldpanel by Numerator (the former Kantar) in fact highlights two major trends. The first is the growth of “short assortment” chains, which facilitate the shopping experience by limiting supply and focusing above all on prices (often betting on their own private labels). The second trend that the study highlights is the behavior of regional supermarkets, which, although they have not had as good a year as previous ones, still represent an important player in the market. “In addition to the short assortment, the 2025 balance of distribution leaves us with other focuses of interest, such as regional chains, which have shown symptoms of deceleration. They grow together by 0.4 percentage points (pp) to the current 18.5%. However, they are slowed down in the second half of the year in the packaged food part, although in fresh products they continue to be differential,” comment Bernardo Rodilla, one of the directors of Worpanel by Numerator. What does that mean? Its growth as a block may have been modest (0.4 pp, according to Worldpanel), but it maintains the trend of recent years. The same consulting firm estimates that in 2019 regional supermarkets accumulated a share of 15.4%a percentage that had increased in 2024 up to 17.7%. Its latest balance already speaks of 18.5%. They are not the only signs that tell us about their resistance. Other reports have reported its ability to increase profits and muscle commercial (including sales area) in recent years. How do they grow then? Just a year ago FRS gave some keys that help understand how food sales are being redistributed and, above all, which branches are coming out worst. Specifically, it pointed to two: the “specialist channels” and the hypermarkets. Large chains and firms like Froiz may be growing, but this expansion coincides with a loss of strength of traditional businesses such as fruit shops, bakeries, butchers or fishmongers. This last case is particularly interesting, since it coincides with a historical crisis in fish consumption. The Fedepesca employers’ association estimates that since 2007 some 350 fishmongers traditional every year. Why are we going to regionals? The other big question. A recent OCU report shows that seven out of ten Chains most valued by consumers are precisely regional. Its attractiveness (and resistance) responds to a sum of factors: bets on fresh products, local merchandise and direct and personal treatment with specialists such as fruit sellers, butchers and fishmongers. Exactly opposite that happens in other large chains in the sector. The regional ones also stand out for their presence in neighborhoods and towns, brand recognition and commercial policies that usually prioritize loyalty, for example through points programs, raffles or sponsorships. There are those who simply consider them the successors from neighborhood stores. Images | Froiz In Xataka | Years ago we feared that an “apocalypse” would sweep through shopping centers. In Spain, exactly the opposite is happening.

There is only a great beneficiary at Ryanair’s departure from regional airports. One called “High Speed Train”

September 4, 2025 by usatoday24

Ryanair threatened and fulfilled. As he turned a few months ago. The company confirmed yesterday, September 3, which removes more than one million places from regional airports. In total, its activity will be reduced by 41 % in this type of aerodromes and 10 % of its activity in the Canary Islands will also be affected. The movement has unleashed an wave of indignation among Spanish institutions that qualify the exit as blackmail or extortion. The company, meanwhile, defends itself by ensuring that the increase in Aena’s rates are incompatible with its operations in this type of airports. But what the movement leaves us is the confirmation that regional airports are less and less competitive. A good part of them have based their operations on a huge dependence on the company. And the Good train health It is making operating in them, more and more complicated. A good example is that the company will increase its operations in larger airports. The controversy As we explained yesterday, with its latest Ryanair movement it will reduce 400,000 places in the Canary Islands in winter, being the autonomous community most punished by volume. In total, 36 connections are canceled. It remains to be seen if the flights to the Canary Islands are held by other companies. A good example is the Binter expansion that in recent times it has begun to increase its routes in the connections between peninsular Spain and the islands. In addition, Ryanair has announced the closure of Santiago de Compostela and the suspension of all flights to Vigo as of January 1, 2026. It maintains the closure at the airports of Valladolid and Jerez de la Frontera. And will reduce its operations in Zaragoza (-45 %), Santander (-38 %), Asturias (-16 %) and Vitoria (-2 %). The company attacks Aena and the Government, to whom it accuses of “failing to the Spanish regions, whose airports are almost 70 % empty.” For its part, the airport manager attacks that “the communication and institutional relations policy of Ryanair is guided by Phariseism, bad education and blackmail”, while trying to “falsify reality.” All these words pick them up eldiario.es from the mouth of Maurici Lucena, president and CEO of Aena. The excuse Ryanair has used to abandon or reduce its operations at these airports is at the rise of Aena rates. Those rates are the ones guarantee basic services of airports such as cleaning or safety, to put only some examples. At the moment, there are substantial discounts than in airports with the lowest volume of passengers make them insignificant. On the contrary, where it is paid the most is in the airports of greater volume. That rate has been frozen in recent years but will rise if the CNMC approves it. From the beginning, the company’s opposition has been found. They defend that in countries such as Italy, Morocco or Croatia have been lowered to attract tourism and that, with these increases, “Spain is closing” to the same. A statement that The data denies. According to Aena, The increase is just 68 euro cents By passenger but they put the company that their rates have increased by 21% in the last year. But this is just the surface. Spain is not the only country in which Ryanair has reduced operations. The Irish have also retired more than 700,000 places from the French regional airports. And it is also not accidental that their operations to Morocco travel almost empty. For a long time, the company has exploited institutional advertising to maintain open paths that would not be profitable without these substantial pluses. In fact, that Ryanair trip to Daklha is only explained since The interest that Morocco has in exploiting that areanear the Sahara, as a holiday destination. Ryanair as a symptom And the train as a disease that hurts regional airports. To all of the above we must add the loss in competitiveness of many of the airports of which Ryanair leaves. The company has closed operations in Santiago and reduces its connections in Vigo. Casually there are two cities to which The arrival of high speed is especially affecting. Until not so long ago, the only way to travel quickly between Madrid and Galicia was by plane. Now, the High speed It allows you to reach the center of the capital more or less the same time as you travel by plane. And without the discomforts of this means of transport. In Asturiashigh speed is not yet working in full performance but the opening of new sections (and others on the horizon)place the region in a position where the train, again, will compete with the plane for faster connections. It will remain faster to travel by plane but its connection with Madrid is already competitive by train. What to say about Zaragoza where in recent years Renfe has joined Ouigo and Iroyo. The corridor maintains a hard competition And although the tickets are not the cheapest on the market, the volume of trains is very high and the latest connections already allow Zaragoza to be linked with Galicia in four hours (making transford in Madrid). In addition, the possibilities to get to Seville or Malaga are multiple with the aforementioned Renfe rivals. Eliminate air connections with the main Spanish cities should result in greater use of this means of transport. And from Aena they are clear that reality is “more prosaic.” “Ryanair moves her planes to airports where can set higher prices In their plane tickets and earn more money, such as Great Spanish airports“, despite being” substantially higher, “they insisted on words collected by RTVE. In Santander, where connections with Madrid are not so advanced, four international destinations have been withdrawn (Rome, Milan, Vienna and Paris) but the flights to Valencia and Malaga are maintained. In Santiago, however, connections with other Spanish cities die. And in Vigo he retires from the line he had with London. Casually when the contract ends Between the City Council and the company … Read more

Ryanair tense the rope more and threatens the government with removing more regional airport flights

April 14, 2025 by usatoday24

This summer, Ryanair will offer 800,000 places less in Spanish airports. It is the announcement that the company made last January as a counterweight measure to what it considers abusive Aena. Now, the company threatens the government again with withdrawing journeys from its less busy lines. 800,000 seats. They announced him last January and the plan is already being carried out. Ryanair will offer 800,000 seats less this summer with the elimination of routes within Spain or the reduction of some of the existing ones. In its statement, the company indicated that the reason for this reduction in the offered journeys were “the excessive rates and the lack of effectiveness of the ‘incentive plans’ of the AENA monopolistic airport operator, which are completely ineffective to support the growth policy of the growth of regional airports.” The affected airports. In its statement, Ryanair specified which airports are those that would suffer a reduction in the offered routes and in which would completely close their operations: Jerez: Closing Valladolid: Closing Vigo: 61% less journeys Santiago 28% less journeys Zaragoza: 20% less journeys Asturias: 11% less journeys Santander: 5% less journeys Where it hurts: Ryanair knows the force it has In these airports and, therefore, it has been their pressure measure against the rates that Aena charges in them. In Valladolid, for example, the number of trips has been drastically reduced and the company’s departure is dismissal. Valladolid is just an example of the fall in international operations caused by Ryanair’s departure. In Santander, for example, his departure causes that only the Canary Islands, Madrid and Barcelona can fly. International trips will be injured in death. Jerez aspired to recover the number of travelers before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2025 but Ryanair’s march It should prevent this from happening. What is paid. Ryanair is aware of the fragility of these routes. Their volume is low, so, they say, they prefer to reorganize these planes and send them to routes that have been growing. In fact, if the company had been operating in these places, it is because there were many facilities by Aena (which Ryanair does not consider enough) and for the interest of regional governments. Airlines charged rates have a cost of 10.35 euros per passenger and are used to guarantee basic services such as cleaning or safety at airports. From Aena they insist that They are “of the lowest in Europe”although in 2021 a freezing was announced until 2026 but in 2024 they rose 4.9%. At the end of last year, CNMC frozen prices again by 2025. Yes, but bonus. However, in airports with less passenger volume, Aena’s fees have multiple bonuses in order to attract a greater number of airlines, to the point that the company can pay only two euros per passenger, according to the AENA last proposal. But, in addition, there is another reason why companies maintain flights in these airports: undercover subsidies. In eldiario.es They explain how regional governments deliver under advertising contracts. So, The Cantabria government delivered 18 million euros Ryanair last summer and Vigo disbursed 625,000 euros to guarantee the Vigo-London route For three years. “Terminal Decadence”. With these words, Eddie Wilson, CEO of the company, has described, which in his opinion is getting the government with regional airports. Words have expressed them in an interview to electionomista.es and in it he has threatened to get more flights from Spain if the course of policies in relation to rates is not changed. “There will be more cuts in the winter of 2025, and even more in the summer of 2026, because it makes no sense to continue investing in deficit operations. The rational decision is to move the traffic where the access costs are falling, not increasing, so we will continue to do so little by little. We have no plans to invest in regional airports because its price structure is broken,” says Wilson in his interview. Without specifying what these cuts would be, Wilson points out that “regional airports are underutilized by 70%, so something does not work. Or people do not want to go to the regions, or airlines do not want to put airplanes there.” More tensions. From Aena, he collects the digital medium, ignores Ryanair’s threats and emphasize that “when Ryanair recovers their presence, we will be institutionally receiving them with open arms”, in the words of its President Maurici Lucena. And emphasize that current policies “allow deficit airports to remain open in optimal conditions without appealing Spanish taxpayers.” At the same time, from Vigo they have sanctioned the company with 17,414 euros of fine for unilaterally reducing the flights scheduled last summer. The company has resorted to but Vigo’s City Council has rejected its writing. In addition, Vigo understands that he has breached the aforementioned contract of advertising when considering that the company has unilaterally broken it, so a sanctioning file for this reason is also underway. And it is not the last controversy that the company has starred in recent weeks. Although the decision aimed to apply this summer, Ryanair has announced that next winter will apply a zero paper policy with which he aspires to bind passengers To use only digital shipping cards and use your mobile phone. Photo | Nejc Soklič In Xataka | Spain has tired of Ryanair’s practices. And the airline is going to hit where it hurts the most: the provinces airports

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