Mercadona is preparing to radically transform the way we shop. The chain has unveiled its new “Tienda 9” supermarket model, a more efficient format that relies on full self-service in most sections and will begin rolling out in Madrid in 2026. The big change is that traditional staffed counters in the meat, fish, and deli sections are disappearing; now products will be offered pre-cut and packaged on trays, ready for customers to pick up directly, while all the cutting, cooking, and packaging work is moved to an internal central processing area designed to boost productivity and reduce costs.
The Tienda 9 model involves shifting from “business-based” management (each section operating almost like a mini-store within the supermarket) to “process-based” management, with the focus on how operations are run internally rather than how space is allocated externally. For the customer, this will translate into a clearer, more linear shopping path, reorganized aisles, fewer nooks and crannies, and much greater prominence for “ready-to-eat” products, which will gain shelf space to meet the rise in consumption of prepared meals.
An increasingly industrialized supermarket… without losing the checkout
At the heart of this change is the “central processing area” within each store, a zone where the cutting, cooking, and packaging of fresh products—which were previously spread across different sections—are now consolidated. From there, the self-service aisles are stocked with products ready for sale, which allows for better control of waste, adjustment of production, and, according to company data, a reduction of up to 10% in energy consumption and up to 40% in water usage thanks to more efficient resource management.
Paradoxically, while the store is becoming automated “on the inside,” Mercadona is not, for the time being, making the leap to a 100% self-checkout model: Tiendas 9 stores will continue to prioritize staffed checkout lanes over self-checkout kiosks.
Timeline and Launch in Madrid
Mercadona’s president, Juan Roig, explained that this new model is already operating in a pilot store, where it has proven to be “more productive and more efficient.” The plan for 2026 involves expanding Tienda 9 to 59 supermarkets across Spain and Portugal, as part of a ten-year strategy that calls for a total investment of 3.7 billion euros and is expected to culminate in 2033 with the entire network adapted to the new format.
In practice, this means that many supermarkets will have to close for between 15 days and a month to carry out the necessary renovations, ranging from the reorganization of sections to the installation of the new machinery room and central processing area. Although the company has not yet detailed all the locations, part of the investment will be directed to the Community of Madrid, where the group already has a strong presence and where stores are scheduled to open and be transformed under the Tienda 9 model later this year, alongside other investments such as the new logistics “hive” in Vallecas.