Today, Mercadona has launched its new online shopping service in Huelva. Orders will be prepared and sent to customers from the Hive, the term used by the company internally to refer to its dedicated online service platforms.

From this Hive, located in the Higuerón Sur area of Seville, it will start to provide service in Huelva to the capital, Aljaraque (including Corrales and Bellavista), Punta Umbría and Palos de la Frontera (including La Rábida). This Hive has been operating in Seville for a few weeks and will soon cover Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz).

As a result, local online customers will be able to shop more intuitively via the new website and app, which lets you find products through categories or by using a search function. Customers will have photos of each product with all the relevant information.

This new model maintains the same delivery price as the previous service (€7.21/order) and offers an extended delivery window from 7am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday, in two-hour slots starting the day after the order is placed. Additionally, customers can modify their orders until the night of the day before delivery.

€25 million investment

This new distribution centre has seen a total investment of €25 million (including the purchase of the site through a public tender) and, on a plot of 30,220 m2, has a surface area of 9,938 m2 with 1,850 m2 allocated for fresh products, including a cold storage area for refrigerated and frozen products. Fresh products are received and prepared the same day they are delivered to customers, ensuring maximum quality and freshness.

Sustainability and efficiency

Mercadona's Hive in Seville has 30 vehicles with the ECO environmental label, all of which are micro hybrids that can transport up to 15 orders. These vehicles have been exclusively designed with 3 temperature zones for different types of products: room temperature, refrigerated and frozen. They also feature a mechanised unloading system that minimises the handling of loads, reducing the strain for employees and unloading times.

Furthermore, 648 solar panels have been installed on the surface of the roof. As a result, the Hive is self-sufficient in its daily energy consumption. Improvements have been made to the facilities, including the optimisation of corridors enabling employees to complete their routes in fewer steps. In addition, the vehicle entrance and exit have been designed for efficiency, and there are two trailer docks to improve the supply process.

Mercadona in the province of Huelva

Mercadona has 20 supermarkets in Huelva (capital and province), of which 18 already adhere to the New Efficient Store Model, and a total workforce exceeding 900 people with stable, quality employment. Purchases from suppliers in the province exceeded €200 million last year.

Furthermore, one of Mercadona’s commitments to society is to share part of what it receives from it. Therefore, the company has strengthened its social responsibility in the province of Huelva over the course of the last year through various initiatives, donating more than 251 tonnes of food to social entities.

Outside of the Mercadona Hive.

Mercadona Online employee preparing online orders.

Inside the Madrid Hive.

Delivery van leaving the Hive.

Header image: Mercadona Online employee preparing online orders.