Mercadona opens its 73rd Portuguese store — and 64 jobs
The Spanish chain opens a supermarket in Abrunheira, Sintra, on 30 June, keeping its foot firmly on the expansion pedal.
Mercadona isn’t easing off the gas. On 30 June it opens its doors in Abrunheira, Sintra — the Spanish chain’s 73rd store in Portugal — and with it come 64 jobs, on permanent contracts from day one.
The space runs to roughly 1,900 square metres with the usual line-up of sections: butcher, fishmonger, bakery, deli, perfumery, fruit and veg, and the now-popular “Ready to Eat”. Nothing new in the format — and it’s precisely that repeated recipe that has let the brand grow fast here.
Why it counts
Beyond Sintra, the 2026 plan includes openings dotted across the map: Vila Real, Beja, Faro, Portimão, Amarante, Esposende, Maia and Moita, among others. Each store means dozens of local jobs and more competition on the shelves — which, in theory, helps whoever’s doing the shopping.
For the North and the Vale do Sousa, the lesson is simple: food-retail expansion remains one of the fastest ways to create stable jobs outside the big cities. Worth keeping an eye on who turns up next near home.
By Beatriz Mota
Image: Carloss / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
