Year

Now they have woken it up and it is already surpassing the US in bullets produced per year

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For much of the Cold War, Europe assumed that its industrial role in defense was secondary to American muscle, and that mass munitions production was on the other side of the Atlantic. Eight decades later, that logic starts to invest: not because the continent is fully rearmed, but because a single European company It is already capable of manufacturing more bullets in a year than the entire US military industry. The geopolitical trigger. The turn of American policy under Trump, with insinuations as extreme as possible annexation of Greenland and one increasing pressure for Europe to assume its own defense, has reopened a question that for decades seemed unnecessary: ​​whether the continent would be capable of arm and defend yourself without the United States. The response of analysts and policy makers is affirmativebut with important nuances, because replacing the US military umbrella (from personnel to equipment and critical capabilities) would have an estimated cost of around a billion dollars and would require years of industrial and strategic transformation. The awakening I remembered a fact the wall street journal that we recently told: after decades of underfinancing and fragmentation, the European defense industry is experiencing its greatest acceleration since the Cold War, driven by the war in Ukraine and a massive increase of military spending. The production of drones, ammunition, armored vehicles and ground systems has been shotwith new companies emerging in record time and large groups expanding factories and workforces, supported by a political and financial environment that just five years ago would have been unthinkable. This rearmament has turned Europe into an industrial actor much more dynamic, although still uneven according to sectors. Money changes the balance. Another fact: Europe spent around to 560,000 million dollars in defense last year, double that of a decade ago, and its investment in equipment is on track to reach 2035 about 80% of that of the Pentagonwhen in 2019 it did not reach 30%. This change not only brings operational autonomy closer, but also threatens to reduce the weight of American manufacturers in a market that today contributes up to 10% of your incomefueling a slow but perceptible shift towards weapons produced on the continent itself. Rheinmetall Panther KF51 Advantages and successes. In some areas, Europe is no longer just defending itself, it is surpassing the United States. Companies like Rheinmetall will soon be able to produce more 155mm artillery ammunition than all American industry togetherwhile the continent dominates the manufacturing of battle tanks, ships and submarines that are successfully exported around the world. Names like that of the leopard tankEuropean shipyards and the rise of drone manufacturers in small countries like Estoniaassets that illustrate a solid and increasingly competitive industrial base. The great lagoons. Despite progress, they persist critical deficits that limit real independence: Europe lacks, for example, its own stealth fighters, and depends on the United States for what is called satellite intelligence, anti-missile defense, military cloud computing and very long-range missiles. Not only that. How we countstill tied to maintenance and updating of American systems such as the F-35 or the Patriot. These gaps explain why many countries continue to purchase weapons outside the continent, even as they declare their intention to strengthen strategic autonomy. Fragmentation, the great brake. More than the lack of technology, one of the main obstacles is the political and industrial dispersion: Each country wants its own plane, tank and ship, diluting investments, delaying programs and making production more expensive. This fragmentation slows down rearmament, forces us to resort to external suppliers (like South Korea in the case of Poland) and makes it difficult for Europe to act as a coherent bloc capable of responding quickly to a major crisis. Autonomy yes, but gradual. In summary, experts agree that Europe can arm and defend himself by itself, but not immediately, but progressively. Projects for long-range missiles, satellite constellations and greater industrial integration are already underway, with countries such as France and the United Kingdom trying to reduce key dependencies. However, a significant degree of American supportwhich makes this billion dollar career in a hybrid something different than a sudden break with Washington, something more like a slow and complex transition towards a more self-sufficient European defense. Image | 7th Army Training Command In Xataka | Germany is experiencing a new “industrial miracle” that it already experienced 90 years ago: that of weapons In Xataka | 100 years later, Renault is on the verge of producing war machinery again: military drones together with Turgis Gallard

There is a perfect time of year to ask for a raise: January to March

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The first quarter of the year is strategic for companies since in those months the annual salary reviews are closed, taking advantage of the fact that the real results of the previous year are known and decisions are made. concrete adjustments in budgets for that year. For this reason, this first quarter offers a window of opportunity for negotiate salary increases because companies know exactly what budget they can allocate to these salary increases. Doing so during this period makes it more likely get a raise than in July or October, when that budget is already allocated. Increase season: January to March. The natural cycle of many organizations places January as the start of salary reviews, just after closing last year’s accounts, and those for the new year are being planned. As and as you remember Andrea Ramos, the expert in Human Resources and recruitment, in one of her latest videos, during that first quarter, those responsible for human resources and management have a fresh and precise vision of the margin available for increases, which means that your request arrives at a time when adjustments are already being distributed based on real data. A meeting at 11 in the morning. Attempting a negotiation outside this time range, such as in spring or autumn, is usually counterproductive because it does not fit into the company’s internal agenda and may be perceived as out of date. In fact, studies analyzed by the Oberta University of Catalonia not only recommend that the salary review be done in January, but they even refine by proposing a time to request it: 11 in the morning. According to María Naqui, collaborating professor of the Psychology and Educational Sciences Studies at the UOC, “11 in the morning is a good option because having high cortisol levels drives us to make decisions. Even so, asking for a salary increase is something personal and not all of us function in the same way.” That is, not only would you be in the appropriate window of opportunity to obtain the salary increase, but the person responsible for giving it to you will have a greater predisposition to do so. Everything adds up to put things in your favor when you have already decided overcome fear to ask for a salary increase. You have to prepare the meeting. In his video, Ramos highlights that before any talk about salaries it is necessary to add a context that reinforces that request. “Write down a list of measurable achievements from the last year,” the expert recommends. This step provides a base of objective evidence to not depend only on subjective perceptions, but on facts that anyone can verify in internal reports. Next, compare your official job description with the tasks what you really do in your daily life and value that difference between the tasks and their initial assignment and the impact on the company of what you are really doing. However, the most important point is investigate the salary band market for your exact position. That is to say, How much are other companies paying? in positions similar to yours. This will allow you to establish a new realistic range and enter the conversation with verifiable data in hand of your target salary and the minimum you would accept. Open petition. Something that Ramos especially highlights in his video is that, after present with objective data arguments that justify the salary increase, the approach to the issue should not be done with a formula that leaves the door open to a yes or no, but rather forces the personnel manager to offer a reasoning. “What would have to happen for that salary to be reviewed in the coming months,” suggested the hiring expert. With this open formula, the promotion is not considered as an immediate decision, but as the result of a process, forcing the person in charge to establish an assessment of your current position, conditioning it on goals and objectives. Not just to make a closed election. If you don’t get the raise immediately, you have already gotten the necessary steps on the table to get it later. In Xataka | Technology salaries in Spain do not depend on the skills of the employee. They depend on the type of company Image | Unsplash (Vitaly Gariev)

Your VPN is half price for a year

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One of the most useful tools we can have to browse the Internet safely is, without a doubt, a VPN. There are those that they are free and that, for specific use, they fulfill their function. Now, in the long run, They are not the best option: They are usually unsafe and its operation may involve slow Internet traffic. There are payment options that work very well and that we can purchase at very competitive prices, such as the Kaspersky VPN: right now it is on sale and a full year costs only 19.99 euros. Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection (1 year) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A very configurable and easy-to-use VPN A VPN, regardless of whether we use it on a mobile phone, a tablet or any other compatible device, will allow us to pass all our Internet traffic through an encrypted and secure tunnel. In this way, no one will be able to see what we are doingso we will have a greater degree of privacy even if we browse a public WiFi network. In addition, of course, we will also protect our IP address. This Kaspersky VPN includes several interesting features. For example, it has what is called a kill switchso if the VPN disconnects, our Internet traffic will automatically be interrupted so that our data is not in danger. In addition, it can be configured to only work, automatically, with certain applications or with a specific browserFor example. Another interesting point is that it is compatible with both Windows and MacOS, Android or iOS, so we will be able to install it on almost any device. It also has more than 6,000 servers distributed in more than 85 locations, which means that we will always have a server available to connect to. As we said at the beginning, this usually has a price of 39.99 euros per year, so it is a quite interesting discount. This promo includes this tool for one device, although if we want to use it on more simultaneously, We also have a discounted plan that includes the VPN for 5 devices for one year for 26.99 euros (its normal price is 45.99 euros). Once the year ends, any of these plans will return to their usual price, but we can unsubscribe whenever we want, since there is no no type of permanence. It is also worth mentioning that it has a period of 30 days where we can test this VPN and, if it does not convince us, request a full refund. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Domenico Loia on Unsplash In Xataka | Why it is dangerous to connect to public Wi-Fi and what you should do to protect yourself In Xataka | Free VPN and security: what’s the problem, why you should be careful

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates import millions of tons of sand every year despite living on immense deserts

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The story is striking in itself: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two countries closely associated with the desert, import tons and tons of sand every year. So striking, in fact, that the first intuition is that it is false. But, as soon as you get closer to it, you discover that not only is it true, but it is more interesting than it seems. Because yes, these countries import a lot of sand. In 2023, only the United Arab Emirates bought more than six million tons. And it is surprising, of course, because these are two countries located on enormous deserts. The explanation, however, is simple: the sand they have is not suitable for certain things. At a technical level, what is known as “eolian sand” (that which the wind accumulates in dunes) is very fine, very uniform and very rounded. That makes it a poor sand for making glass, concrete or other industrial products. It is not that it cannot be used, but it requires adjusting the mixtures, controlling the granulometry and impurities (fines), and carefully balancing the manufacturing processes. That is to say, the process ends up becoming so expensive that it is cheaper to import sand that is more suitable for standardized processes. And this, ultimately, should not surprise us. Sand is, today, the second most exploited resource in the world (only after water). The United Nations Environment Program estimates that every year 50,000 million tons of sand and gravel are used. What’s more, the lack of sand is so obvious that there are criminal networks that traffic with her internationally. However, we are not talking about just any sand. There are, as is evident, many types of sand. For what is not interesting today we can distinguish natural sand (HS 250590) and siliceous/quartz sand (HS 250510). The Gulf countries import, above all, the second. Emirates, to give an example, is spent half a million a year in the first and 87 million in the second. That is to say, although they are countries ‘rich’ in sand, they do not have the sand they need. A sand, moreover, with very specific specifications (granulometry, purity, humidity, fines, contaminants, consistency of supply) and that are basic for glass, foundry, filtration or the chemical industry. However, they also import natural sand. And this is interesting because, as they point out in the UNthis only makes clear the significance of the problem of governance and externalities. Despite having usable sand, in many cases it is preferred to buy from other countries (such as Oman) to avoid the negative externalities of draining sand from their coasts and deserts. Something that can alter livelihoods (fishing, agriculture due to salinization, coastal tourism) and increase vulnerability to storms. In the summer of 2019, the couple who became famous was arrested in Sardinia for hiding 40 kilos of sand in his trunk. That was the anecdote, the problem was another: that beyond mass tourism, the tensions on the sand are increasingly greater. It is something that has only grown and is normal. The world is not here to do without one of its most valuable resources. Image | Lars Portjanow In Xataka | We are running out of sand. And there are already traffickers who negotiate with it in India or Morocco

The Adamuz accident comes after a year of incidents and controversies

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The tragic Adamuz accident It is the worst that Spanish high speed has suffered in its entire history, but during the last year both the AVE and the rest of the LAV services have accumulated incidents, delays and problems that have damaged its image as a 100% reliable service. A year to forget. 2025 has chained incidents of all kinds on the high-speed network. Some of the events that have affected the operation of our trains: All of them have been events that, for different reasons, have challenged our perception of railway capacity in Spain. Delays and technical breakdowns. Punctuality plummeted up to levels of 70% in some months, well below the historical standards of the AVE. According to data According to El Mundo, four out of ten trains arrived late during the summer. On the other hand, technical problems forced the temporary withdrawal of part of the Avril and Avlo train fleet due to manufacturing defects, reducing available capacity just when it was needed most. The paradox of success. Despite everything, 37.3 million people traveled on AVE trains and long distance from Renfe during 2025, according to data from the Ministry of Transport. It is an absolute record: 6% more than the previous year. The AVE reached 21.5 million passengers, while Avlo grew from 4.55 million to 6.2 million users. The Madrid-Levante-Mediterranean corridor went from 5.5 to 7.7 million passengers, and the line to Galicia and Asturias skyrocketed from 2.5 to 4.6 million. These are figures that show that we prefer the trainand you like it when it works and offers competitive prices. Despite the figures, the incidents of recent months have given very negative publicity for high speed in Spain. Returns that do not arrive. The recurring incidents, added to the tightening of return conditions due to delays that Renfe applied in 2024, have fueled a story of discontent. Now it takes an hour of delay to recover 50% of the ticket, when before 15 minutes were enough. In September of last year we discovered that only three out of every hundred passengers were able to claim compensation over the summer, despite millions suffering delays. Discontent. We had never used the AVE so much and the incidents of the AVE had never had so much media attention. The competition from Ouigo and Iryo has helped boost the number of travelers thanks to lower prices, but the number of incidents has caused this gradual reduction in prices to take a backseat. And in the case of Renfe, lack of rolling stock It has not followed that growth rate either. Issues. Minister Óscar Puente recognized in September that the system will continue to have problems for at least two more years, in reference to the rolling stock that did not arrive and visited countries such as Germany or China looking for new trains. Meanwhile, the president of Renfe, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, assured at the end of the year that it would not apply the new compensation approved by Congress, which required money to be returned after 15 minutes of delay, considering them unconstitutional and asymmetrical compared to the competition. And now what. The Córdoba accident has been a devastating end to a bad streak of incidents in the Spanish railway system. All railway operators now face the challenge of demonstrating to Spain that the service remains reliable and safe despite the Adamuz accident. In Xataka | More than 30 years ago, Spain decided to invest heavily in the AVE: today it is winning contracts in Vietnam thanks to it

1 TB of cloud storage, VPN and antivirus for 16 euros per year

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Nobody likes to run out of storage. The most common solution to this problem is to get a cloud service, such as Google Drive. This one from the American company is, as we say, the most popular, but it has many quality alternatives that are also worth it. One of them is of Spanish origin and is on sale: is called Internxt and we can get your service from 16 euros per year. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Secure, open source (and now cheaper) cloud storage If we are actively looking for a cloud service, this offer from Internxt is very worth it. Not only because of the price (that too), but because of everything this company offers. One of its key points is the security and privacy it offers, since it uses the encryption known as ‘Zero-Knowledge’.‘. What does this imply? That our files are encrypted before being uploaded to the cloud, so not even Internxt itself can access ityes. Not only that. Our data is fragmented throughout the network, making it virtually impossible for a third party (such as a cybercriminal) to access it. In addition, it is one of the few cloud services that It is open sourceso its transparency is more than guaranteed and any public entity can easily audit it. Internxt is also characterized by being an environmentally conscious company, since its servers use renewable energy. It is also worth noting that it does not follow or use any type of policy for tracking or selling data to third parties, so, once again, it is a matter of a great cloud service if we are concerned about our privacy. Now, let’s talk about the offer itself. Internxt part of 16 euros per year currently on its cheapest plan, called Essential (or 247 euros if we opt for their lifetime plan, whose RRP is 1,900 euros). With it, we will have 1 TB of cloud storage, as well as a VPN and an antivirusso it is a quite attractive package. If we need more cloud storage, we also have a discount right now on the rest of their plans. To make it easier for you to see the price and what each one includes, we leave you the summarized and schematic information below: Premium Plan: 3 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus and cleaner per 31 euros per year (or 377 euros lifelong). Ultimate Plan: 5 TB of storage, VPN, antivirus, cleaner and meet per 47 euros per year (or 507 euros lifelong). Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Internxt In Xataka | Google Drive alternatives: the best cloud storage services for your files In Xataka | Best VPNs 2025: guide with the 17 best services to protect your online privacy

Barcelona believes it has a night security problem. So you’re going to leave the Christmas lights on all year long

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Vigo risks losing his position as “city of lights” (from Spain). Although the Galician City Council usually displays its Christmas decorations already in July and boasts every year of the millions and millions of LEDs that adorn its streets for almost two months, from November to January, there is another city that is about to raise the stakes: Barcelona. There the Consistory has decided maintain part of the lighting for the festivities Old City during the remainder of winter. Their reasons actually have little to do with Christmas. Lights, lights and more lights. Christmas may be over, but in Spain it is becoming common for us to talk about its lights for months and months. In Vigo they do it because the City Council begins to hang them in the middle of Julywith the thermometer flirting with 30º and the city full of tourists in shorts and flip-flops. Now they will do it too in Barcelonaalthough for other reasons. What do they want to do there? The news I advanced it on Monday The Vanguard: Barcelona is finalizing a plan to improve the lighting of some of the narrowest (and darkest) streets of Ciutat Vella, taking advantage of part of the decoration that was installed there this Christmas. That is to say, in the absence of traditional streetlights, garlands strung between facades are good. Although Jaume Collboni’s team has not yet revealed the details of the initiative, the idea does seem clear: it is not so much about neighbors, merchants and tourists continuing to walk for months under decorations of Santa Clauses, Three Wise Men and Christmas trees, but rather about maintaining the most ‘timeless’ designs. Walking under light bulbs. The key is therefore to take advantage of decoration that does not clash with the rest of the winter. To reinforce it, the municipal government also proposes maintaining the garlands that the merchants themselves have placed. In the Gòtic there are businesses that have been hanging decorative lights on their own, although as these were private initiatives they encountered challenges such as the passage of garbage trucks or some parades. Where, when and how. While waiting for the City Council to provide more details about where, when and how the initiative will be deployed, The Vanguard has advanced some keys: the measure will focus on points in Ciutat Vella, Gótic and Sant Pere streets, Santa Caterina and Ribera that aspire to improve their lighting. Regarding the calendar, councilor Albert Batlle explains that the Consistory proposes keeping the lights for several months: “The will is that the measure be implemented, now and in the future, during the winter time period, approximately between the last weekend of October and the last weekend of March.” Two keys: trade and security. Batlle too confirm that the measure pursues two objectives: to favor the businesses and residents of the area and to put an end to alleys in which pickpockets find refuge. “We want to improve the lighting of some small streets in Gòtic and Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and la Ribera to promote commercial, cultural and social revitalization, and also to improve the feeling of security, especially on days with fewer hours of daylight,” he adds. “We are working on the formula to enhance this network.” “They give them more qualms”. The measure appears to have had good reception among the businesses in the area, which even proposed expanding the list of roads that were initially going to benefit from the lights. “If the streets are more illuminated, walking becomes safer and commerce will benefit,” recognize to The Newspaper David González, from the Via Laietana Merchants Association. Proof of how convincing the measure is is that at the time some businessmen from Born they already started to hang garlands at your own risk. “People go along Paseo del Born very happy because the promenade and the streets are usually well lit. But the dark alleys make them hesitant.” The idea has also been found with detractors who consider it a patch. But… Does it work? Although he has achieved reduce your crimeBarcelona usually appears in the area highest of the rankings about the cities insecure from Spain. The key is whether more public lighting will translate into greater real safety, a question that has generated debate in recent years. What they do seem to confirm cases like that of Vigo is that a good commitment to street lighting (even if it is seasonal) serves to attract thousands of visitors. Images | Barcelona City Council (X) and Núria (Flickr) In Xataka | The upper area of ​​Barcelona no longer interests the rich: the Eixample has become fashionable and its neighbors tremble because of the prices

ChatGPT seemed like the untouchable king of AI. Over the last year Google has eaten up almost all of its lead

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Apple and Google have closed an agreement historic for the next generation of Apple Foundation Models to rely on Gemini models and Google cloud technology. In other words, the expected new Siri It will take Google’s artificial intelligence technology underneath. Beyond the news, the agreement places Google in a position that it has been pursuing for years: that of, finally, being the main winner in this latest AI cycle. The agreement. Quick context: The AI ​​race has led Apple to lean on Gemini to reinvent Siri. Since he announced Apple Intelligence In 2024, Apple showed that it needs OpenAI for advanced responses from Siri (given by ChatGPT) and third parties like Google for functions such as Visual Search. Following the new agreement, it is confirmed that the next Apple Intelligence features will be built on Google’s cloud and its Gemini models. A victory for a Google that has been achieving the unthinkable with its AI model since last year. ChatGPT no longer competes alone. Until just a year ago, talking about AI was talking almost exclusively about ChatGPT. The rest of the competitors were minority alternatives intended for very specific uses such as development environments, image generation, or rich web browsers. Gemini is making the picture change, ChatGPT seemed to be everything in AI, it is no longer. From blow to blow. Google is managing to position Gemini as an alternative to ChatGPT by hitting the table. With Nano Bananaforced OpenAI to update its image generation models, since the distance between them was abysmal. With Antigravity it is a before and after for personal programming projects. Google is pressing the accelerator with your flash modelskeys to one of the greatest demands of the average user: response speed. Muscle and checkbook. Google plays in another league compared to OpenAI when it comes to cash generation. AI is not its main business model, it operates its own data centers and has complete control of the hardware necessary for its development. OpenAI depends on agreements with giants like Microsoft and Amazon, and you are going through hell to become profitable. Earn a lot of money, but the numbers still don’t come out. A clear strategy. Google has a well-defined strategy and a key that none of its rivals can compete with: it is the distributor of the most used mobile operating system in the world. Billions of smartphones that land on the market every year and that, just a year ago, They arrive with Gemini as the default assistant. Google had the user base, it just needed the product. Now that you have it, the question is how long OpenAI can hold off Gemini’s dam. Image | Xataka In Xataka | OpenAI fully enters health for a simple reason: ChatGPT is already our front-line doctor (although we don’t want to admit it)

Offering the cheapest gasoline in Spain has become an obsession. And 2026 is going to be the year of the great battle

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The cheapest gasoline in Spain today, January 7, is found at a Ballenoil service station in Coslada (Madrid) at a price of 1,239 euros/liter, according to dieselgasolina.coma portal that monitors the price of service stations throughout our country. The second position is also from a Ballenoil service station and is also in Coslada. And the third. And the fourth and the fifth. Oh. And also the seventh, the eighth and the tenth. And the company low cost has started a war to be the company that sells us fuel the cheapest in our country. It wants to continue expanding. And along the way it will face Plenergy, another of the queens of cheap gasoline. Both have undertaken strong expansion. The cheap gasoline war Ballenoil, which is part of Cepsa moeve since just over two yearsis the leg that its parent company has to continue attracting customers who prioritize the price of gasoline above any other incentive. The company goes through a transformation campaignmaking greater efforts for sustainable fuels and electricity. With Ballenoil, Moeve has some safety net. Its service stations require very little expense because, precisely, that is the secret of gasoline low cost. Minimum investments in the stations, forget about additives and any other additional service so that word of mouth is the true driver of service stations. Low prices but good performance at volume. The strategy is working. They point out in Five Days that Ballenoil sold 1.385 million liters of fuel in 2024 and that the target figure for 2026 is 1.8 billion liters. To do this, they seek to consolidate at the end of the year an offer of 500 gas stations spread throughout Spain. Last November they were the first low cost to reach 350 stations of service in Spain. The investment is by no means exceptional. Plenergy is another of the kings of low cost with a turnover of 1,550 million euros in sales in 2024. Right now, it has 352 gas stations on the Peninsula, of which 10 are in Portugal and the rest in Spain. The objective is the same as that of Ballenoil: 500 service stations by the end of 2026. He growth of this type of business It is so high that if the plans are fulfilled we will be seeing one opening of this type of company every four days. That is, every two weeks there should be three new service stations and another on the way. And to certify it, the objective of Plenergy, they point out in Five Days is to have a 10% market share in our country. That would place it as the third most used company, only behind Repsol and Moeve. To these two giants we must add the third in contention. Petroprix, which shares with Ballenoil the service stations with the cheapest fuel in Spain according to dieselgasolina.com, also plans an expansion. For now, talk about extend your influence abroad But it also does not turn its back on Spain and talks about having 400 service stations ready in our country by 2027. gasoline low cost proves to be a huge business in our country. As we counted on Xatakaits competitive advantage is zero investment in marketing or additives. The fuel arrives at these service stations as it is distributed by Exolum, former CHLin charge of distributing all gasoline throughout our country. In return, the business model proposes sales that are large enough to compensate for the narrow profit margin, without an alternative for additional services such as large gas stations such as Repsol or Moeve receive. Photo | Ballenoil and Plenergy In Xataka | Look at gasoline and diesel to improve the electric motor. This project is committed to an untested solution

Three chains are devouring the supermarket business in Spain year after year: Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi

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From ugly duckling to goose that lays the golden eggs. The white label revolution seems to find no ceiling in the retail Spanish. Until not so long ago, the brands associated with supermarkets carried a stigma in Spain compared to items from manufacturer brands clearly recognized by customers. It was not even strange for words like “Estandado” to be used in a pejorative way. Buying white was synonymous with buying ‘poor quality’‘option B’. Not anymore. Spanish families are increasingly betting on white label. And that is making gold for some of the country’s big chains. What has happened? That the white label is experiencing his particular revolution in it retail Spanish. And that is still striking if you take into account that until not so long ago, firms like Hacendado or Auchan carried a certain stigma compared to their competitors, the brands associated with manufacturers. It’s nothing new. For a long time we have been confirming how the white label is driving some chains of “short assortment”supermarkets that are committed to offering customers a limited selection of items. That is, instead of including a dozen different brands of cookies (or other items) on their shelves, they offer only two or one, among which they include their own brand. Chain Market share in value Difference (PP) compared to the 2024 quota Mercadona 37.0% 0.9 Carrefour Group 12.3% -0.2 Lidl 8.0% 0.5 Day Group 4.7% 0.1 Consum Group 4.5% 0.0 Eroski Group 4.4% -0.1 Alcampo Group 3.6% -0.3 aldi 2.5% 0.4 Bon Preu Group 2.4% 0.0 You save 23% 0.1 Gadis Group 1.7% 0.0 Magnifying glass 1.1% -0.1 El Corte Inglés Group 1.0% -0.2 dinosol 0.9% 0.0 Froiz 0.8% 0.0 Alimerka 0.8% 0.0 Rest of Modern distribution 12.0% -1.1 Why is it news? Because the latest data from 2025 reveal that this strategy is driving some brands to catapult them to unprecedented market shares. This is suggested by at least one recent report from Algori on consumption prepared with data from the first ten months of the year. The study shows that at the end of October the three chains that were gaining the greatest market share (in terms of value) in Spain were Mercadona (0.9 percentage points), Lidl (0.5 pp) and Aldi (0.4). Between the three, they also held a market share of 47.5%, a share clearly led by Juan Roig’s company, which alone holds 37%. DIA and Ahorramás are also growing, while others like Carrefour, Alcampo or Eroski are stagnating or decreasing. Chain % of white label sales 2023 % of white label sales 2024 % of white label sales 2025 Lidl 79.7% 81.9% 80.7% Mercadona 72.9% 74.5% 77.8% aldi 68.8% 69.1% 74.5% Day 54.2% 56.3% 65.1% consumption 33% 35.9% 37.4% Carrefour 29.3% 31.4% 33.3% Eroski 25.6% 28.4% 31.2% Alcampo 21.5% 24.3% 23.8% Why is it important? Because Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi are not just any chains. They are precisely the ones that give the greatest prominence to their own brands. At least according to another recent study from Worldpannel by Numerator, which shows that if we talk about the weight of private labels in total sales, Lidl heads the list with 80.7%, followed by Mercadona (77.8%) and Aldi (74.5%). In summary: the chains that gained the greatest market share in 2025 were the ones that most clearly opted for their own products, a strategy that often arrives backed by aggressive price differentiation. elEconomista.es precise Furthermore, Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi have increased their market shares to record figures. Their 47.5% share is more than two percentage points higher than last year, when they accounted for a total of 45.2% of the market. Everything, they explain from Algori, while the entire sector experiences growth both in terms of volume and value. And what are the forecasts? The sector is optimistic. AECOC, the consumer association, states in one of its latest reports that 44% of companies expect to close 2025 with growth data above 5%. 28% expect to increase their activity, although to a lesser extent, and 11% expect to fall. They are led by Lidl and especially Mercadona, which has been expanding its market share until it approaches or even surpasses 30% thanks to a strategy based on white label, territorial dispersion and ready-made foods. Images | Wikipedia and Vitaly Gariev (Unsplash) In Xataka | Mercadona has found a vein to grow beyond its white label and prepared food: tourism

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