During the first eight weeks of 2024, Mercadona and Carrefour were the only large food distributors in Spain that managed to increase their market share in value, according to the most recent data provided by Algori on the sector's evolution. Mercadona, led by Juan Roig, experienced the largest increase. It increased its market share by 1.3 percentage points over the same period of the previous year and surpassed the 1.2 points growth achieved in the second half of 2023. On the other hand, Carrefour reversed the negative trend it experienced in the second half of last year, where it lost 0.3 points, achieving a growth of 0.2 points in the first eight weeks of 2024.
In contrast, Lidl, DIA, and Eroski continued the downward trend they experienced from June to December 2023 until February 25 of this year, adjusting their market share in value by 0.3, 0.9, and 0.2 percentage points, respectively. This situation is part of a broader context of widespread decline among modern distribution operators, which -despite the 0.6 point growth recorded in the second half of 2023- have started 2024 with an overall 0.1 market share reduction compared to the same period of the previous year.
The consumer goods sector, however, has seen a 4% increase in the value of its sales in the first eight weeks of the year, driven by a 3% increase in the frequency of purchases and a 6% growth in product prices. Despite the 5% drop in units purchased per basket, demand is starting to recover, according to Cugat Bonfill, Head of Insights at Algori, as the volume of purchases is improving week after week.
The analysis also addresses the impact of the exit of PepsiCo's and Bimbo's products from Carrefour and Grupo DIA, respectively. According to Bonfill, both retailers are experiencing worse performances in the affected categories, mainly due to the loss of shoppers. Carrefour has seen a 7% decrease in the number of buyers of chips and snacks, while DIA has recorded a 15% reduction in buyers of sliced bread in the first eight weeks of 2024.
Source: revistainforetail.com