Mercadona Initiates a Major Transformation in Its Fish Sales Model
Recently, shoppers at the Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona may have noticed a significant change in the fresh food section: the retail giant, led by founder Juan Roig, is gradually phasing out its traditional staffed fish counters, moving entirely to selling fish in pre-packaged trays. Mercadona has confirmed this change through its official channels, explaining the strategic considerations aimed at improving the customer experience.
A Step Towards a New, More Sustainable Model
Mercadona defines this shift as a move towards a “new, more sustainable model for selling and consuming fish.” The decision is not arbitrary but is based on months of market analysis and consumer insights, including blind tests, product line studies, surveys, and customer feedback collected from various stores. The core objective is to “improve the quality of the fish that reaches the consumer’s home.”
Core Advantages of the Pre-Packaged Model
The Valencia-based Mercadona emphasizes that the new model brings several practical benefits for consumers, the key being to “shorten the time between the fish leaving the water and being consumed as much as possible,” thereby ensuring the product’s freshness.
Specific advantages include:
- More Convenient Preparation: All fish products are sold as fillets or sections, already cleaned, allowing consumers to cook them directly after purchase, which is extremely convenient.
- More Efficient Shopping: Customers no longer need to wait in line at the fish counter, reducing shopping time and saving valuable time.
- Better Suited for Household Needs: The standardized tray packaging makes it easier for households to store and plan meals.
Through these optimizations, Mercadona aims to create a “more complete, guaranteed, and superior service” fish sales system, encouraging consumers to more easily incorporate fish into their daily diet for a balanced nutrition.
Consumer Guide: Can Tray-Packaged Fish Be Frozen?
Faced with this new sales format, many consumers are concerned about freezing the products. Mercadona clarifies that unless specifically stated on the product label that it cannot be frozen, all tray-packaged fish can be frozen for storage.
To ensure quality after freezing, the supermarket also provides a series of practical tips:
- If the tray has been opened, it is recommended to transfer the fish to a special freezer bag with a zip-lock seal for storage.
- Frozen fish products are best consumed within one month.
- For products that have been thawed, if they need to be refrozen, they must be heated to a temperature of at least 70°C for at least two minutes before consumption.
