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I walked into my local Mercadona last week and saw something strange. There was a giant, empty grey wall where the fish counter used to be. No ice, no smell, no noise. It looked like a ghost lived there. I took a photo because it felt like the end of an era. A few days later, I went back. The wall was gone. In its place stood rows of bright, cold shelves filled with plastic trays. The fishmonger was gone. The "Boss"- which is what Mercadona calls us - was now alone with a barcode.
As an experienced retail expert, I have seen many shifts in retail. But what Mercadona is doing right now is different. It is a total industrialization of freshness. This is not a small test. This is a massive, €3.7 billion bet on how we will eat for the next ten years.
For retail and FMCG professionals, this is the case study of the decade. Let’s look at the facts, the math, and the controversy.
The 20% Problem: Why the Counter Had to Die
The first thing you need to know is the "why." In Spain, fresh fish consumption has dropped by 20%. That is a disaster for a retailer. Why are people stop buying?
Time: Nobody wants to wait 15 minutes in line for a sea bass.
Fear: Younger people don’t know how to clean a fish. They don't want the guts or the scales in their kitchen.
Friction: You have to ask for the cut, wait for the wrap, and carry a wet bag.
Mercadona’s president, Juan Roig, is moving the company to the "Tienda 9" (T9) model. This model shifts from "business-based" management - where each section like the fishmonger is a little shop - to "process-based" management.
By 2033, every store will look like this. By 2026, 59 stores in Spain and Portugal will already be converted. To do this, a store has to close for 15 to 30 days. They install new machinery and a "Central Processing Area" (CPA).
The Industrial Machine: Profand and the CPA
The fish hasn't left the store; it just went behind the curtain. Mercadona is centralizing everything. All the cutting, cleaning, and packing that used to happen in front of you now happens in the CPA or at the supplier’s factory.
The big winner here is Profand. They are a "Totaler Supplier" from Vigo. Their turnover hit €1.116 billion in 2025—a 10% jump. Their profit doubled to €30 million.
Mercadona even gave €130 million in loans to suppliers like Profand and Piscifactorías Andaluzas to buy the packing machines. This is a tightly closed loop. The supplier prepares the tray, and the store simply places it on the shelf.
Operational Efficiency: The Real Numbers
Why do this? Because the old way was a resource hog. A wet fish counter is expensive. You need ice machines. You need lots of water for cleaning. You need people standing there even when nobody is buying.
Metric | Traditional Counter | Tienda 9 (Tray) |
Water Use | High (Ice/Wash) | -40% |
Energy Use | High (Open) | -10% |
Shelf Life | 2 Days | 6 Days |
Wait Time | 5-10 Minutes | 0 Minutes |
Waste Revaluation | Low | 98% |
Controversial Fact: While the store saves water, the consumer gets more plastic. Social media is on fire about this. But Mercadona says they revalue 98% of the organic waste (heads, guts, bones) into oils and fertilizers at the factory. You can't do that when the waste is in a bin at the back of a local shop.
The Math of the Tray: Why Customers Think It’s a Rip-off
If you look at the price tag on a tray, it looks higher than the price on the ice. Customers are complaining that prices have doubled.
When you buy a whole fish at the counter, you pay for the head, the bones, and the guts. You throw about 40% of that away. The tray is 100% edible.
Effective Price Comparison (Estimate for 2026)
Product | Format | List Price (€/kg) | Yield (Yu) | Effective Price (€/kg) |
Salmon | Whole (Counter) | €11.95 | 65% | €18.38 |
Salmon | Tray (Fillets) | €21.00 | 100% | €21.00 |
Hake | Whole (Counter) | €9.50 | 60% | €15.83 |
Hake | Tray (Cleaned) | €17.50 | 100% | €17.50 |
Cod | Frozen (Glazed) | €12.00 | 85% | €14.12 |
Cod | Desalted Tray | €23.00 | 100% | €23.00 |
Data Sources:
The tray is still more expensive, maybe by 10-15%. You are paying for the labor of the machine and the plastic. But for many, that 15% is worth not having to clean a fish at home.
Here is a controversial insight for my FMCG colleagues. When you move to industrial packing, the product changes. Some "fresh" trays are actually "descongelado" (previously frozen).
If you read the labels carefully, some products (like the redfish or gallineta) have added water - sometimes up to 10% - and salt or acidity regulators to keep the texture. This is the price of industrial convenience. The fish stays "pretty" in the tray, but it might release water when you cook it.
The Human Factor: What Happens to the Fishmonger?
The biggest fear is job losses. In the UK, when Tesco closed 317 counters, thousands of jobs were at risk.
Mercadona says they are not firing anyone. They are "repositioning" staff.
Many move to the CPA in the back to cut fish in a factory setting.
Others move to the "Listo para Comer" (Ready-to-Eat) section, which is growing fast.
They are also using a new 5+2 workday agreement with unions like CCOO and UGT, giving staff more "long weekends".
But there is friction. Unions like CIG and CNT have won court cases against Mercadona for using performance bonuses to punish people on medical leave. The "Mercadona Method" is efficient, but it is high-pressure.
Lessons from the UK: A Warning for Spanish Retail
Mercadona is following a path already taken by Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Asda.
Tesco: Closed all 279 remaining counters in 2023 because they weren't "key drivers" for visits anymore.
Sainsbury's: Closed counters to save £60 million.
The result in the UK? The big supermarkets became "replicas of warehouses". This created a huge gap in the market.
Insight: While the big chains closed counters, high-end shops like Waitrose kept theirs to win over affluent customers who want "the experience". In Spain, regional chains like Gadis are now winning "best quality" awards because they kept the traditional service.
Sustainability Paradox: Plastic vs. Waste
This is the hardest part to explain to the public.
The Tray View: More plastic. More landfill. More microplastics.
The Logistics View: Trays allow for "Atmosphere Packaging" (MAP) using nitrogen. This extends life from 2 days to 6 days.
The Result: Less food waste. If a fish lasts 6 days, the store throws away almost zero.
Mercadona uses collapsible green crates for transport, which saved 107,072 truck trips last year. They are optimizing the "last mile" to save CO2. But when the customer looks at their trash bin full of plastic trays, they don't see the saved truck trips. They see a problem.
Conclusions and Strategies
For Retailers
If you are not Mercadona, don't just copy the tray. Copy the efficiency, but keep the "human."
The "Window to Fresh": Research shows that even if people don't buy from the counter, seeing it makes them believe the whole store is fresh. If you remove it, you are just a warehouse.
Hybrid Models: Some UK stores are trying "sushi concessions" or third-party operators to keep the service feel without the high labor cost.
For FMCG Professionals
The packaging is now your entire brand.
The Label is the Salesman: Without a fishmonger to explain the fish, the label must do all the work. It must explain the origin, the freshness, and how to cook it.
Added Value: Ready-to-cook sets (fish + sauce + veggies) are the next big growth area.
For SMEs and Local Shops
This is your golden age. Mercadona is leaving a giant hole in the market for "Expertise."
Sell the Advice: People go to Mercadona for speed, but they will go to you for the "magic." Tell them which fish is in season. Tell them how to make a stock with the bones.
The Human Touch: You are the alternative to the ghost wall. Use that.
Final Thought
The tray is here to stay. It is too efficient to fail. Mercadona’s profit hit €1.729 billion in 2025 - a 25% increase. The machine works.
But as we move toward 2033, we have to ask: what are we losing? We are losing the ritual of the market. We are losing culinary knowledge. We are trading the "soul" of the Mediterranean diet for 10 minutes of saved time.
Mercadona has made its choice. They chose the machine. Now, the rest of the market has to decide if they will compete on speed, or if they will save the soul of the Spanish kitchen.
Speed or Soul? What side are you on?
Quick Pro-Tips for the "Boss":
Freezing: Yes, you can freeze the trays. But do it before the last day.
Safety: If the label says "descongelado," you must cook it at 70°C for 2 minutes to be safe.
Timing: Use the tray within 6 days. If you open it, move the fish to a sealed bag immediately.
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