One of the foods most consumed by the Portuguese and Spanish – olive oil – has also become one of the most coveted by thieves, the president of Mercadona said on Tuesday. The Spanish supermarket chain, which continues to invest in Portugal, recorded a profit of one billion euros in 2023.
With rising prices, olive oil has moved into the category of “expensive” products and has become a target for thieves, along with, for example, ham. Besides olive oil, other products rose in price above inflation last year, such as chocolate and rice, due to “the rise of raw materials,” explained Juan Roig during the Iberian presentation of the 2023 results. Mercadona guarantees that it managed to reduce prices on a thousand products in 2023, between April 2023 and February last year.
Even with some prices falling, profits rose 40% in 2023, to just over one billion euros. With the contribution, for the first time, of Portuguese stores that until now have only been losing money, as Juan Roig said. In 2023, sales growth reached 90%, to 1,403 million euros.
With 49 locations, the goal is to open 11 more this year, establishing a presence in two more districts: Évora and Guarda. The hired workers will join the 3,500 that are already part of the company.
Author: Raquel Oliveira
Source: CM Jornal
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