Today Mercadona inaugurates a new efficient supermarket in Berango (Bizkaia), specifically in the area of ​​Landaida Goikoa. This supermarket, which opens as the new Mercadona Efficient Store Model, reinforcing service excellence while optimising customer purchases, offers improvements from which "bosses" (customers), employees, suppliers and the company benefit.

Thus, this new supermarket has updated all its sections. For example, it has specific lines of fresh milk and fresh juices, a new bakery section with bread slicer and refrigerated pastries, a new butcher and charcuterie section with hand-cut ham and packaging, a central perfumery counter for specialised cosmetics, fresh squeezed orange juice service and a new fish market counter for shellfish products, among other innovations.

Additionally, the Berango supermarket has, among other improvements, a new entrance with double glazed glass preventing the inlet of air currents, wider aisles, and two new shopping cart models, which are much lighter and more ergonomic.

This latest generation of efficient supermarkets has a surface area of ​​1,500 square meters with a completely renovated design compared to the previous store model, with new colours and materials, both for the exterior facade of the supermarket and in the layout of the different sections. It also offers wide open spaces that facilitate the entry of natural light and warm colours for the delimitation of different environments.

The construction of this new efficient store involved 81 suppliers, employing more than 230 employees during the construction phase.

Technology and ergonomics for Mercadona employees

Additionally, in order to facilitate the daily tasks of employees, this new supermarket includes multiple measures to improve ergonomics and prevent overexertion. For example, the new Mercadona register counter has been developed in collaboration with the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia. The store also has common areas for employees to enjoy improved comfort during breaks, as well as a better equipped and more spacious dining room with convenient personal lockers.

In addition, this new Mercadona Efficient Store is completely connected technologically through the integration of a series of electronic devices and collaborative tools for employees, in order to share information from any section of the store facilitating autonomous management of each supermarket while streamlining the processes of the entire chain. Among others, these new devices are: the line of register counters, scales and use of electronic tablets that replace paper to carry out administrative tasks. All this enables optimisation of processes and real-time knowledge of store management, which facilitates decision making, contributing to greater agility, particularly for the management of fresh products. 

Energy savings: ecoefficient store

At the environmental level, measures have been implemented to reduce energy consumption up to 40% compared with the conventional store model, due to the improvement of thermal and acoustic insulation, optimising wall and ceiling materials and thickness, along with new energy efficient and environmentally friendly storage freezers. It is also equipped with an automated LED lighting system regulated according to areas and times of day, for improved efficient energy management. 

The supermarket hours are from Monday to Saturday, from 9:15 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. It also has a parking area with more than 250 spaces to facilitate shopping for customers who choose to drive their vehicles. Additionally, Mercadona has initiated a delivery service and online shopping.

With this new opening, Mercadona customers will benefit from its well-known exclusive GLP policy (Guaranteed Low Price), guaranteeing the lowest unit price of its products, with the best quality, always. Thus, Mercadona offers its customers, regardless of the product brand, an effective assortment of the highest quality at the lowest possible price.

During 2017, Mercadona invested more than 180 million euros in the remodelling of 126 supermarkets as well as the opening of another 29 new supermarkets under this new store model.

Mercadona in Euskadi

Mercadona has 16 stores in Euskadi: five in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Araba / Álava), three in Bilbao, one in Barakaldo, Basauri, Santurtzi and Berango (Bizkaia); and one in Irun, Eibar, Oiartzun and Donostia / San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa). Its personnel is comprised of 1,422 employees, with stable quality employment. The first phase of the construction of its logistics block in Vitoria-Gasteiz has been completed with an investment of 50 million euros, creating 200 jobs. It also has business relationships with 1,308 SMEs in this community and in 2017 it made purchases from Basque suppliers worth 423 million euros. Mercadona's commitment to local products has led to the purchase of 5,500 tonnes of fresh fish from markets in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa during the last campaign; 236,000 kilos of potatoes from Álava with Euskolabel; more than 252,000 units of butter rolls; and more than 12,000 peppers. Additionally, in 2017, within its corporate responsibility framework, it donated more than 486 tons of staple products through food banks in Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa and the soup kitchen Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, in Vitoria-Gasteiz