We are looking for a Mercadona in France, we type the address into Google Maps, and we find nothing. Normal: Mercadona has no retail locations in France. The Spanish chain focuses all of its expansion on Spain and Portugal, with no official communication mentioning France as a target market, even in the medium term.
This observation changes the nature of the search. The question is not to locate a Mercadona store in France, but to know how to access its products from France, and to understand why this establishment remains absent despite the enthusiasm of French-speaking consumers.
Why Mercadona is not opening stores in France
Mercadona’s strategy is based on a simple principle: to master one market before opening another. The chain took decades to cover Spain with over 1,600 retail locations. Its expansion into Portugal, launched a few years ago, is ongoing with regular new openings, including in areas where it had no presence yet.
Investment budgets are exclusively targeted at Spain and Portugal. No budget is allocated to any other European country.
To locate the retail locations accessible from France, one can consult the detailed list of a Mercadona store in France on Shoopeo, which notably lists addresses near the French-Spanish border.
Mercadona’s economic model also complicates entry into France. The chain operates with a very high rate of private labels (Hacendado for food, Deliplus for cosmetics), which requires dedicated logistics chains. Duplicating this network in a new country requires heavy investments and a network of local suppliers that the chain has not yet established outside the Iberian Peninsula.
Mercadona stores near the French border: useful addresses
For residents of southern France, the most direct solution remains to cross the border. Several Mercadona stores are located less than an hour’s drive from Perpignan or Bayonne.
On the Catalonia side
The Figueres store is the most frequented by the French. Located on Carrer Sant Llàtzer in Figueres (province of Girona), it is about 25 minutes from the Perthus border. It is easily accessible via the AP-7 motorway.
Other retail locations exist in the Catalan cities a bit further south, but Figueres remains the logical choice for a day trip from the Pyrénées-Orientales.
On the Spanish Basque Country side
The stores located in the province of Guipúzcoa (Irun, San Sebastián) allow residents of the French Basque Country to shop at Mercadona without a long journey. Irun is just a few minutes from the Hendaye border.
Feedback varies on this point, but most French visitors report well-stocked shelves on weekday mornings, with less crowding than on weekends.
Mercadona products sought by French consumers
The enthusiasm for Mercadona in France does not come solely from price. It is specific product ranges that drive demand, particularly on social media and French-speaking Facebook groups dedicated to the chain.
- Deliplus (cosmetics and skincare): creams, serums, and shampoos at very low prices, often compared to much more expensive French pharmacy brands
- Hacendado (food): canned goods, sauces, snacks, and dairy products praised for their quality-price ratio, difficult to find in France even online
- Household cleaning products from the Bosque Verde brand, often cited for their effectiveness at a significantly lower price than their French equivalents
These products are not distributed in France through official channels. They can sometimes be found on resale platforms between individuals, but with significant price markups and no guarantee on storage conditions.
Mercadona facing competition in Spain: what impact for France
Since 2025, Mercadona has seen its market share growth slow down in Spain. Lidl, Dia, and other hard discounters are gaining ground, intensifying the price war in the Iberian market.
This competitive context has two consequences for a potential French project. On one hand, Mercadona must first consolidate its position in its domestic market before considering costly expansion. On the other hand, competitive pressure pushes the chain to invest heavily in a new supermarket format, called “Tienda 9,” which modernizes the layout of the aisles and the customer experience.
These investments mobilize resources that the chain will likely not redirect to a new market until the model is stabilized in Portugal.
Alternatives in France for Spanish-priced shopping
While waiting for a hypothetical arrival of Mercadona, several options exist for French consumers looking for comparable pricing.
- Lidl and Aldi offer a hard-discount model with increasingly quality private labels, especially in food ranges
- Cross-border drives allow online ordering from Spanish chains and picking up products at the border
- Some specialized sites import Spanish products (olive oil, canned goods, charcuterie), even though the Mercadona range remains absent from official distribution channels in France
The reality on the ground is clear: to shop at Mercadona, one must go to Spain or Portugal. No official signal indicates a change of course in the short or medium term, and the chain’s annual reports confirm this strictly Iberian orientation.
